


Door

by Carochinha, digitalgate02



Series: Lady of the Castle [1]
Category: Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Genre: Digimon Adventure Zerotwo, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-20
Updated: 2017-06-30
Packaged: 2017-12-29 20:19:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 28,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1009648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carochinha/pseuds/Carochinha, https://archiveofourown.org/users/digitalgate02/pseuds/digitalgate02
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The door has opened. So Daisuke stepped in, into that castle of mysteries and darkness and people who should not exist. And there, he would learn something about himself that he never expected to discover.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Changes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Edit: 12/20/2016]
> 
> Chapters 1 & 2 were written in 2013. At that point of life, we had no idea tri. was going to happen, how could you blame me for having this incorrect vision of the characters?
> 
> I wanted to change the main conflict of chapter 2, right after tri. debunking the popular “Taichi has a crush on Sora and this is why he fights Yamato” headcanon most the fanfictions pre-tri. era had. Also the fact Taichi, Yamato and Sora *NEVER* fight each other because of one or another pleases me. Really, Im glad to know Yamato and Sora have a healthy relationship, that Taichi respects their relationship and that he also trusts Yamato. We see Taichi and Yamato fighting for EVERYTHING but for Sora.
> 
> I really wanted to change that chapter, but how? I had no clue, so I decided to write this post and ask you to please don’t drop it because of that chapter. This story was written in 2010, and arc by arc it gets better. I’ve been improving my skills (artist-wise and writer-wise) so I really want to write this new version in English.
> 
> The original/first version, in PT-BR, is available on FF.net.

“Do come back to visit us someday, darling!” Daisuke was still trying (although unsuccessfully) to pry his hands from Mrs. Tachikawa’s ones, who appeared to be trying her best not to let him board his plane on time.

“Don’t worry, Tachikawa-san, I will certainly come back! I might even bring some other of our friends with us, I know Mimi-san must feel lonely here by herself!” finally managing to make Mimi’s mother let go of him, Daisuke picked up his backpack, his suitcase already in the plane. He looked at the people surrounding him, Mimi, her mother, and Wallace (Mimi’s father hadn’t been able to find a parking spot and had surrendered himself to circling around the parking lot). “Well, guys, I’ll get going. Don’t worry, Mimi-san, I’ll come back soon! And in the meanwhile, we can always chat over the net and meet in the Digi...”

“Yes, good, now get going, Daisuke!” Mimi sniveled at him. He quickly bit his tongue. Although the Digital World was becoming a more widely known phenomenon, it probably still wouldn’t be a good idea to talk about it in such a public place. As everyone always told him, baby steps. You don’t chance the world in a year and a half.

He said his last goodbyes and quickly ran towards the boarding gate, where the attendant looked him over with a displeased look.

 

“Do get in quickly, _sir_ _,_ the plane is almost taking off.”

Daisuke hastened his search for his designed place, fortunately right next to the window. He dodged the already-sleeping old lady in the seat next to him, sat down, looked around, and then opened his backpack.

“DAISUKE!” a squeaky voice resonated thorough the plane, coming from nowhere else than the backpack he had just opened. Clamping his Digimon’s mouth shut, he ignored the voices of “What in the world was that” as he looked at Chibimon threateningly.

“Sorry...” the small blue creature said from behind Daisuke’s hand, and he let go. “But we’re finally going home! It’s not like I don’t like New York, but I’ve missed everyone! How do you think they’ve been doing in our absence?”

After his question, Chibimon watched his partner silently. Daisuke was indeed wondering what had been happening with them... How they were spending their time, and whether Hikari was mad at him. She’d just refused him when he’d asked her to go out with him. But, coming back to Japan, he decided he wouldn’t again talk about dating.

After all that had happened in New York... After meeting that girl-that-wasn’t-human...

“That’s a good question...” the words escaped Daisuke’s mouth, although his digimon could see that his mind was somewhere else. Afterall, he had plenty of reasons to let his mind wander to places other than his companions back at home. No matter how much he tried to prevent it, he would always end up thinking about that strange digimon-girl. A part of him couldn’t help but feel as though he would have liked to have her as his partner too.

“But I do hope they are doing OK...” after sighing deeply, something odd enough for his character, he patted Chibimon’s head as he smiled a little “At any rate, it was an interesting adventure, huh? We should come back here someday.”

They spent a while talking in hushed voices about their Summer vacation, wondering if maybe now they’d be free from complications. However, they ended up falling asleep, waking up only upon hearing that they should fasten their seatbelts, for they would be landing in Narita airport shortly.

 

As Daisuke waited for his suitcase, he wondered how he’d manage to get back home. His money was still in dollars, and he didn’t even know what time it was. He’d probably have to get a bus or a train or something... That, after hours in an airplane, sounded extremely uncomfortable.

As he dragged himself outside the suitcase area, he heard a shrill, high pitched voice calling for him.

“Daaaaaaaaaaaai-chaaaaaaaan!!!” people turned their heads, but all they saw was a running mass of lavender hair that stopped right in front of Daisuke, a big smile on her face.

“M-Miyako?!” he shouted, incredulous.

“Sorry, I’m not Hikari...”

“No, that’s not it, what are you even doing here?” he blinked his eyes slowly “Did Mimi-san tell you or...”

“She sent me a message! Also, your sister asked me to come.”

“Are you serious...?” Daisuke frowned, doubting about Miyako’s answer “Sis asked? She doesn’t care where I am! I mean, she cares a bit, but not too much as Taichi-san would care if he were my older brother.”

“Come on, I’m doing you a favor.” The girl stared him, with a smirk “Also, could you tell me what you were doing with Mimi-oneesama? Huh? Did you meet Wallace and Michael? Did you have a secret crush on Mimi--”

“MIYAKO. I. WANT. TO. GO. HOME. AND. SLEEP.”  the goggle boy pouted  “Now, let me go home. We can talk about this later... Tomorrow. Ah, and don’t spam my inbox. And no, I have no crush on Mimi-san. We are just friends, and you know who I really love! So, don’t ask those questions, ok??”

“You’re still the same rude jerk.” Miyako crossed her arms and looked away “Good to know, at lest you had a good trip to New York, right? I was stuck here, working and working more! And Sora-san had some personal problems too. I didn’t want to invite her to go to shopping... And Hikari-chan was busy too.”

 _“Busy with Takeru...?”_ he muttered _“Why not, she rejected your invitation...”_

“I heard that.” the girl gave him a serious gaze “And no, she didn’t even talk to Takeru since you went to New York! I think it was... Her classes. She is going to change schools, she got into a photography course. Didn’t she tell you?”

“She... She didn’t talk to Takeru either?! I wasn’t rejected?!” he blinked, surprised “But... Why didn’t she tell me...?”

“Didn’t she? Well, I don’t know. Maybe I can ask her later.”

Daisuke was about to continue inquiring about their friends’ lives, but Miyako waved a hand to the side.

“Anyway, we really should get going, my brother must be getting angry after waiting this long.”

As she dragged him off towards the parking lot, Daisuke realized he didn’t know Miyako’s brother’s name, and the thought annoyed him slightly. It felt weird not knowing something so obivous about her.

 

Miyako opened a car’s door, where music was blasting loudly, and told Daisuke to get in. Before he could complain about his suitcase still being outside, she grabbed it and pulled it to the trunk. He shrugged and got in. He surely wasn’t going to complain if Miyako was being nice to him out of nowhere. She got in shortly after.

“Hey, Mantarou-nii, what about turning that down?! I can’t even hear myself think!”

As the siblings started to argue, Daisuke let himself sink into his car seat. His last thought before falling asleep was about Hikari. What Miyako told him made his naïve head confused: _“Didn’t she talk to Takeru about it...?? Why did she do it to us...?”_

His dream was... Confusing. While the Inoue siblings where arguing (Mantarou driving, Miyako turning off the radio), Daisuke was lost inside his mind.

A blank place. He was alone there. The scenario was like... Dark? An empty place painted in black. Suddenly, a green light (He wasn’t sure, but it looked like a tear) hit the black background, changing it to white. Daisuke just watched it, having no idea of what was happening.

Next, a red light appeared on his side. It looked like a sun... **_The Crest of Courage?_** It painted the white jacket Daisuke was wearing. He realized suddenly with confusion that he was wearing old, tattered clothes instead of his usual ones.

Some seconds later, a blue one appeared on his left... He blinked. _**Was it the Crest of Friendship?**_ The blue colour invaded the top of his jacket. The boy recognized a little of what that outfit was. But something was missing...

A third light came from his chest. It was a golden one, and it stopped in front of Daisuke. A yellow string drew flames in the jacket. Now he was sure: **It was his Digital World outfit.**

 

“But... Why am I dressed in my Digital World jacket??” - he thought - “What is happening here...?!”

 

After talking to himself, the Chosen Child noticed a peculiar thing behind the third crest (it was the Crest of Miracles, but he had only seen it twice... And in a golden Digimental). At first sight, Daisuke had no idea of what it could be besides strange black paint. But then it transformed into shadows... And most of them were familiar silhouettes. The boy gasped when he was able to identify them.

Afterall, one of them was himself.

_“DAISUKE, WAKE UP! NOW!”_

 

Daisuke opened his eyes, scared. He looked around, wondering what that had been. Miyako and Mantarou were looking at him. The younger Inoue sibling frowned: “What’s wrong with you?? Did you see a ghost?!”

“M-Miyako?!” - the young Motomiya blinked slowly, still confused - “What... Uh... Where are we... And... Why are you looking at me as if I was...”

“You’ve been calling out to you for five minutes!” - she looked REALLY worried - “Are you OK? We thought you’d fainted or something...!”

“I’m fine, I just had a weird... dream?” - he was not sure about it. Had he fainted? - “No worries, I’m fine...”

“I think we will help you with your luggage. You’re sweating, too...” - Miyako was still worried, and it was making Daisuke slightly unconfortable - “And pale.”

“C-cut it out! I’m not!” - he pouted, although the only thing in his mind was _“Nice, now everyone’s worried thanks to that creepy dream!”_

“Rude! I’m just worried...! You are my friend, aren’t you?!” - Miyako looked away.

“I’m... I’m sorry.” - the boy sighed, upset (with himself) - “I’m a bit... Stressed. I didn’t mean to be rude or make you worry.”

“Anyway... We’ll help you, I don’t want to see you sick.” - she smiled - “Ah, don’t forget to tell Mimi-oneesama that you’re home. I think she might get worried if she doesn’t hear from you. Also, I haven’t seen Taichi-san for a while... Or Yamato-san, now that I think about it. Do you know something about that??”

“E-eh?!” - Daisuke gasped - “N-No, I have no idea...! Maybe they were busy?! I mean, I think Taichi-san was busy with something, uh... summer homework I guess?! And Yamato-san, doesn’t he have a band?! Wait, shouldn’t I be the one asking you what happened while I was with Mimi-san?!”

“I don’t know... I was busy too” - she shrugged - “I didn’t even had time to talk to our own group. Only to Takeru and Ken. Iori has a girlfriend now and he likes to ask me tips. I’m not sure if I can help him though, since I’ve never had a boyfriend before...!”

“I thought you were dating Ichijouji” - Daisuke smirked - “You spend most of our time talking about him, and now that he is our friend... I thought you were dating him. Or would you rather let him make the first move...??”

“That’s not your business, Motomiya Daisuke!” - she looked closely at his face and gave him a deadly glare - “Why are you so interested in my relationship with Ken, anyway??”

“Nothing.” - he rolled his eyes - “I just wanted to tease you a little, like the good old times.”

“You haven’t changed at all...” - she babbled, leaving the car. Daisuke quickly followed her and Mantarou (who was carrying Daisuke’s luggage) to the Motomiya’s place.

At home, Daisuke didn’t care if his parents were there or not. He just moved to his room, throwing his luggage somewhere on the way there, and went to sleep. Chibimon did the same, although he was a bit hungry. Both were tired and the best option now was... Sleep.

And yet, he didn’t sleep. Daisuke, that is. He tried, but he didn’t feel sleepy. It was so strange, because he could usually just sleep so easily whenever tired. The room was dark, and he felt as though everyone in the house was sleeping.

 

_So, why was this happening?!_


	2. Senpai’s problems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Edit: 12/20/2016]
> 
> Chapters 1 & 2 were written in 2013. At that point of life, we had no idea tri. was going to happen, how could you blame me for having this incorrect vision of the characters?
> 
> I wanted to change the main conflict of chapter 2, right after tri. debunking the popular “Taichi has a crush on Sora and this is why he fights Yamato” headcanon most the fanfictions pre-tri. era had. Also the fact Taichi, Yamato and Sora *NEVER* fight each other because of one or another pleases me. Really, Im glad to know Yamato and Sora have a healthy relationship, that Taichi respects their relationship and that he also trusts Yamato. We see Taichi and Yamato fighting for EVERYTHING but for Sora.
> 
> I really wanted to change that chapter, but how? I had no clue, so I decided to write this post and ask you to please don’t drop it because of that chapter. This story was written in 2010, and arc by arc it gets better. I’ve been improving my skills (artist-wise and writer-wise) so I really want to write this new version in English.
> 
> The original/first version, in PT-BR, is available on FF.net.

“Oh man…” - Daisuke got up and walked towards the desktop. He never suffered insomnia before, so it was a new thing. The goggle boy sat on the chair and turned the computer on. He had no idea what to do, so he looked for Mimi to talk her he arrived in Odaiba.

“Nice, first I met a strange girl-digimon, next I had strange dreams… Now I can’t sleep!” - he muttered to himself, trying to not disturb his partner or the rest of his family.

“Maybe I will send her a e-mail right now…” - he kept whispering - “Then, I turn off the computer, go read a manga to help me try sleep a little.”

He opened his e-mail, looked for Mimi’s one at his list. Two seconds later, he typed the message:

> _Yo Mimi-san! It’s me._
> 
> _I’m home, Miyako was waiting me at the airport… (I’m sure she is persuading me to tell her what was my trip…)_
> 
> _Ah, I’m sorry for giving you so many troubles with my english…! I promise you I will practice more, and ask someone to help me learn more… (But why are the Digidestined laughed when I tried to pronnounce the nickname I got…?! Isn’t it… Deivisu?! … Ah whatever.)_
> 
> _But, thanks for everything!_
> 
> _See you sometime in the Digital World,_
> 
> _Daisuke._

He yawned (and it felt really strange! He was sleepy, so why couldn’t he sleep), sending his e-mail to Tachikawa.  Now… what he should do? Daisuke had no idea, but reading manga seemed like a good option to try to go to sleep.

He turned the computer off, looked to his right and took one of his favorite manga. He missed reading that comical and heroic story on some days, when he was with Mimi and the Chosen Children. On chapter 245, the goggle boy felt like both him and the main character had something similar:   **They couldn’t sleep.**

It was so ironic. Reading to try to get to sleep, and his hero was suffering the same problem. He whispered to the book, trying to not wake Chibimon:

“Dude, I understand you. We got the same problem.”

Minutes later, he heard his stomach complaining. Ah, he hadn’t eaten anything since he’d arrived home, huh? And the airplane’s snacks had been eaten by the blue digimon. Daisuke got up from the chair and thought of drinking some milk. Maybe it would help him get to sleep? His previous experiences with drinking milk for a certain purpose… Hadn’t ended well.

The young Motomiya left his room carefully. He checked the clock and it was quite early, 4 a.m. He moved towards the kitchen, opening the refrigerator in silence. Another yawn and the boy felt he was going to sleep, afterall… But the phone caught his attention.

A light. There was a message… Someone called, but not one had heard the phone. It probably was someone selling stuff—

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

Daisuke was led by his own curiosity, making him stop in front of the phone and play it.

It was just like a horror movie: The goggle boy looked at the device with a sort of scared and surprised gaze.

_“Hey, Daisuke… If it’s you, we need to talk…! If this is Daisuke’s parents or Motomiya Jun-senpai, please tell Daisuke to message me as soon as possible… Or to come here at my house.  Thank you.”_

The voice was familiar, but the person was either serious or upset. Daisuke ran back to his room, closing the door as though it was daytime. Vee woke up with the noise, and saw his partner panicking a lot, getting some clothes and running to the bathroom.  When he came back to get his goggles, Chibimon jumped on his chest, pushing Daisuke to the ground.

“What happened, Dai?!” – the baby dragon muttered, trying to not wake up the entire house – “It’s way too early to go out!”

“Senpai…!” – Daisuke began – “Taichi-senpai needs me! I don’t know why, but he was… He was serious. I think something BAD happened while we were having fun with Mimi-san!”

“Taichi…??” – Chibimon frowned – “Did he mention what he wanted…?”

“No, and that’s why I’m going visit him!” – Motomiya got up and put the digimon on his bed, but the “little bro” grabbed his hand when he was going to get the goggles – “Vee! Let me go!”

“It’s too early to go there! Besides, if he is in a bad mood, it could make him more upset!” – Vee gave him a serious look – “Why not wait and go after breakfast…?”

“Yeah, you’re right.” – Dai sighed, but he was still feeling bad – “I’ll wait. I don’t want to give him any more trouble, and Miyako said…! Could it be…” – he looked at the D-terminal, reminiscing on what his friend had told him at the airport – “Maybe he is upset because something upsetted Sora-san. It makes no sense, because Sora-san is Yamato-san’s girlfriend—“

“What do you mean? Taichi has a secret crush on Sora or something…??” – Chibimon blinked, extremely confused.

“No, but Sora-san and Taichi-san are like… Best friends, childhood friends.” – Daisuke explained – “I can say Hikari-chan and I are like childhood friends too.”

“Childhood friends…?”

“It’s when you grew up with your best friend. I think I heard Taichi-san talking about Sora-san some times. She was from the same Soccer Club too, Koushirou was their teammate too.” – the Chosen Child looked at the soccer uniform throw to the corner – “When I joined the team, Sora-san and Koushirou-san had already left. I think I replaced one of them, but I’m not sure about it. Those two are like Taichi-san’s best friends… Well, at least that’s what I think.”

“Like you, Miyako and Iori…?”

“I’m not sure if Iori thinks I’m his best friend.” – he looked at the floor, whispering something –  _“I’m pretty sure he doesn’t  consider me as a best friend. He didn’t tell me he got a girlfriend!”_

“Maybe Taichi-san is really worried with Sora-san.” – Daisuke sighed again – “But why would he want to talk about her…?! It makes no sense! Or… Or…!! IT COULD BE SOMETHING ABOUT HIKARI-CHAN!”

“Daisuke! Don’t yell!” – Chibimon pointed at the clock. The younger Motomiya covered his mouth – “Everyone is sleeping, except us.”

“And I wish I could sleep a little…” – And the boy yawned for the third time – “I only had a little nap while we were taking the ride home. Geez, Miyako’s older bro is crazy. Well, it makes sense, she is a little crazy… And one of her sisters is sis’ best friend. And I’m one of Miyako’s best friends.”

“Oh? Seems legit.” – Chibimon giggled – “You two act like each other, when you were talking about your crushes… Hikari-chan~ Ken-kun~”

“Hey! I don’t… Maybe a little… But not at all the time!” – Motomiya snorted.

“Hee hee. I couldn’t resist” – the digimon hugged him – “I am like you, I just wanted to tease you like the good and old times.”

“That’s my line.”

“Nevermind. So, go sleep~” – Vee kissed Daisuke’s chin, teasing the partner – “Did you listen to Mimi’s beauty tips?? She said sleep makes you look younger and restores your energy. You don’t want to look a zombie to your precious Hikari-chan, do you??”

“Shut up!”

“Have sweet dreams, Sleeping Beauty~” – the digimon ran away from Daisuke’s arms, hiding inside the sports bag.

“I swear, this is the last time I buy chocolate for you…!” – The kid looked away, still angry with his digimon partner. But he couldn’t resist and tried to go to sleep again. He lied on the bed, staring at the rest of his room. He gave a quick gaze to the goggles and back, wondering what Taichi wanted to talk about. His curiosity was bugging him so much! So much…

And after his last thought (about how much he wanted to go ask Taichi about the message), a sleepy Daisuke finally dreamed with something… Different.

 

Hours later, the boy was sleeping on the floor, and having strange dreams (again). Now most of them looked like a medieval movie, with princesses and dungeons. Monsters (probably digimons) were living in the shadows and being called “bizarre creatures” by the humans, and there was a peculiar species that looked both human and monster.

_“Dai-chan, breakfast! Wake up!”_

Before he woke up, the last dream was… About Mimi?! And that one was creepy, very creepy. Daisuke woke up scared again, pale and sweating. The poor human looked around, like he didn’t recognize anything in his room.

“Daisuke, are you OK??” – Chibimon was already awake, sitting by Dai’s right. The boy sat on the floor and shook his head, still scared.

“Ah? I’m… I’m fine, I just had a nightmare… I think” – he gave a nervous laugh – “It was creepy, unlike that one I had on Miyako’s older bro’s car…!”

“What dream?” – the innocent digimon asked – “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It was confusing, I have no idea how to explain it! But… It started yesterday.” – Daisuke got up and grabbed the D-terminal, checking the messages. Ah, he got one from Mimi, replying to his e-mail. And… What? Taichi sent him one asking if they could meet at the park. – “I wonder if it’s some problem about Nat-chan…”

“You should relax, she’s OK…” – Vee tried to comfort him – “And you did your best. I… I’m glad you liked her and wanted to be her partner, but… You are my partner. And I don’t know if you could get another partner.”

“How about Wallace…? He had TWO digimon partners.” – Daisuke replied, a little upset.

“I thought he told us both Gummymon and Chocomon came from the same egg.” – Chibimon rolled his eyes, correcting his partner – “I have no “brothers”… I mean, I don’t know if I do, my memory was rebooted when I was sealed… or something.”

“I want to forget about her, but this isn’t helping me!” – every time he stared at Taichi’s message, it bugged him more and more. – “I was only gone for a few days and everything changed! It’s like I don’t even belong here anymore… Even my friends seem different.”

“Did you get another message…?” – Vee decided to try and change the subject, he didn’t want to see his partner even more stressed – “Daisuke?”

“From Senpai…” – he replied – “And he wrote: ‘Daisuke, I heard from Miyako-chan that you were back from your trip in New York. I know it will look extremely STRANGE, but everyone’s busy and I need to talk about this with someone. Well, I hope you can help me a little…’. Taichi-san is making me worried… What happened?!”

_“Dai-chan, did you hear me?? I’m calling you to breakfast!”_

“Ah, mother’s calling me… Wait, Vee. I’m going to bring something for you.” – Daisuke put the D-terminal on the desk and left the room. Chibimon just watched his partner leaving.

“Today will be a great day…” – the baby draconian jumped on Daisuke’s bed and looked at the window – “The sun is shining, but I’m not sure if that means our day will be 100% good.”

 

“I’m back!” – the goggle boy entered and closed the door – “I have some chocolate chip cookies, and I brought milk. My parents think you’re a cat, so… They didn’t let me bring chocolate milk.”

“But blue cats LOVE chocolate milk.” – Chibimon cried like a baby (well, he is in baby II level) – “Why?!”

“Calm down, when we go meet Taichi-san I will buy you some chocolate milk” – the boy put the cookies and the milk on the desk, and patted Chibimon’s head – “I promise you, ok?”

“Okay. Now lemme eat my breakfast” – Vee looked at the cookies and smiled like a hungry wolf – “Itadakimasu~”

“Oi, Vee… I want some cookies too! I didn’t eat them so I could share with you…” – Daisuke took one cookie, and then… The digimon ate all the rest – “At least I got one cookie…”

“Ah! Sorry, Daisuke…” – Vee apologized, finishing his milk – “So, what we will do now?”

“Meet senpai.” – Dai took the goggles from his bed and wore them – “He said after breakfast. Looks like it’s something really serious.”

“Not really…” – the blue digimon rolled his eyes, reminding Daisuke of who his senpai was.

“If you keep that sassy mouth running, I won’t buy you chocolate milk.” – the goggle boy threatened Chibimon, taking the digivice, the D-terminal and his partner.

“I’m just kidding!” – complained Vee.

Some hours later, the duo was waiting for Taichi. They had no idea what was going on or why the older Yagami sibling was so serious. To keep Chibimon calm, Daisuke was forced to buy chocolate milk for his partner to drink. Well, Daisuke also bought a soda to wait for his senior.

Taichi was “late”. As usual.

Minutes later, they saw a guy with giant hair approaching them (carefully). Daisuke thought he was crazy, but Taichi was acting so suspicious… And by the third time Yagami avoided a redhead girl (who looked very similar to Sora), the 2-TOP team was sure about one thing:  **His worries were related to Sora.**

“Yo, senpai!” – Daisuke called out to him, waving his hand and holding the soda with his left one – “I’m here… I’ve been waiting for you for 30 minutes.”

“Ah? Daisuke!” – Taichi grinned – “How are you? It’s nice to see you here!”

“Are you kidding me?” – Chibimon frowned – “You called Daisuke here! He told me.”

“Did I?” – and the Chosen of Courage looked around, acting more suspicious when a blonde man appeared in the horizon – “Sure… Let’s go walk, I need to get some air.”

Dai & Vee looked at each other, but accepted Taichi’s request. The two boys left that part of the park, walking around the trees. For a while, Yagami told Daisuke the story of when the Chosen Children were looking for the 8th Chosen Child. And, since Daisuke was in those events (well, not too much. He remembers some things about August 3rd , but little things.), it sounded like old news to him.

He wanted to ask, but his admiration for Taichi prevented him of interrupting the stories. And listening to it again and again was something that Daisuke liked. It was Taichi’s point of view of that adventure, his emotions and thoughts. It made the younger kid go back to his 8 year old self, when he heard Taichi’s story for the first time.

“So… What did you want…?” – Fortunately, Chibimon wasn’t like Daisuke at all – “Daisuke was panicking about it. He wanted to go at your house at 4 am!”

Taichi gasped and coughed. The goggle boy offered his soda, but the older hero refused it. He thanked Daisuke for all his worries and grinned again.

“Ah? W-well… You know, some things happened while you were in New York.” – Taichi began – “Some of those things were  **bad things** and I feel like I should throw myself out the window of the 13th floor!”

“C-come on, Taichi-senpai!” – Daisuke patted his shoulder, smiling as usual – “I heard it from Miyako, although not the bad news. And I don’t think you should do it, you’re our leader after all. You guys say I’m the new leader, but without you… I think I’m not able to lead everyone as you do.”

“Stop with the compliments, Daisuke.” – Taichi looked away, upset with himself – “I’m not a good leader. I mean, I was worried whether I would be able to talk with the group after what I did!”

And the 2-TOP team frowned again. Daisuke was unsure if he should ask, but he had a bad feeling again. He was worried and curious about Taichi’s messages, and how much his senpai wanted to talk with him. And now, Taichi was acting so suspicious and avoiding any person that looked like Sora or Yamato.

And the big question was  **“What had Taichi done to feel so ashamed?!”**

“Senpai, don’t say that!” – Dai pouted – “What happened? Why do you look like you lost your courage…?!”

“Because…” – Taichi began – “I told him once. And I kept my promise.” – he sighed deeply and continued – “When I first learnt that Yamato and Sora were dating, I felt happy for them… But, something inside of me wasn’t pleased. One time, I talked to Yamato, and I told him…”

> _“Yamato, listen. If you hurt her feelings, I will not have mercy on you. I will punch your face! Sora is like a sister to me, we are childhood friends. If anyone hurts her, I will protect her. Do you understand me?”_
> 
> _“I understand.”_ – Yamato nodded - _“And you should know I love her, I’ll never hurt her feelings.”_
> 
> _“I hope so, you’re my best friend too. I believe in you and I trust you, and I wish you two happiness and success.”_

“That time I was pretty sure that I could just… Tell Yamato how important Sora is to me. But, I heard some things at school. We’re classmates too, and I kept acting like her older brother. As I do with Hikari, you know how it is. But, sometimes I wish I didn’t have to be so protective around Sora, especially since she has Yamato now… So, I know couples have their fights and stuff, they argue and hurt each other, but then feel regretful about it and apologize… And yet, I couldn’t stand to see a fight between them when I was around!”

> _“Why you can’t just do it this time, Yamato?! I know you have your band, but… Sometimes I feel like our relationship means nothing! Just this time!”_ – Sora was arguing with the blonde guy, talking about making a dinner at her home to introduce him to her father (who was going to visit her) –  _“You can skip practice this one time, can’t you?!”_
> 
> _“I’m doing my best. But they won’t understand! I skipped it last night because Miyako-chan got an S.O.S. from Gabumon… They were in danger!”_  – Yamato stared at her –  _“I have no idea who said that the Digital World was finally in peace, because those weird digimon were attacking! Look what that Pukumon did on Valentine’s Day!”_
> 
> _“Yamato, please. My father is working too, he asked for some time off to come and meet you! Can’t you just tell your band it’s an important thing?!”_
> 
> _“I can try, but maybe you should try too? There was a summer contest and…”_
> 
> _“Why is it ALWAYS about your band?!”_

“I heard them fighting about the Teenage Wolves.” – Taichi kept explaining – “Well, I was going home with Hikari, and we met them in front of Odaiba Elementary. I looked at Sora’s face, she was really mad at Yamato and at how he was reacting to her complaints.”

> _“Yo, Yamato! Sora!”_ – Taichi smiled and waved, while Hikari was carrying some plastic bags –  _“What are you—“_
> 
> _“WHY YOU ARE ACTING SO COLD AGAIN?!”_  – Takenouchi yelled at her boyfriend –  _“I JUST WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO MY FATHER!”_
> 
> _“Sora…??”_
> 
> _“I told you…”_ – Yamato sighed, when he was going to say something… BANG, Taichi immediately punched him in the face. Both the girls were surprised with Taichi’s attitude.
> 
> [   
>  ](http://rainbow09.comli.com/)
> 
> _“What did you do to Sora? Didn’t I warn you, Yamato?? If you hurt her…”_
> 
> _“How dare you! You have no idea about what we were talking about, you idiot!”_ – Yamato punched him back, returning the ‘favor’ –  _“Don’t interrupt us when we are discussing something!”_
> 
> _“T-Taichi! Yamato!”_ – the Chosen of Love yelled, trying to stop their fight. Hikari did her best, but both boys kept punching each other –  _“ENOUGH! I’M DONE WITH YOU TWO!”_  – Sora cried out, running off on her own, leaving the other three behind.

“She got mad at us, and Hikari didn’t know what to say to calm her down. After that day, Yamato got REALLY mad at me, and not only him, but Sora too! She was angry at me when I had that talk with Yamato… Now she is ignoring my calls, my messages… I feel like I have no way to apologize for what I did.” – Taichi seemed extremely downcast, looking at the grass – “Two days after that fight, I heard one of the members from Yamato’s band talking about what I think he and Sora were discussing that afternoon. I felt even worse, because it looked like I was jealous about their relationship…”

“You attacked Yamato-san?!” – Daisuke blinked, but he remembered something: Taichi and Yamato were always fighting – “Ah. Is this the bad news…? Not like I’m not taking seriously, but… Why don’t you try to explain to them that it was a misunderstanding?”

“You are saying the same thing Hikari told me!” – Yagami sighed – “Koushirou and Jyou were too busy to give me advices or hear my version of the story… Anyway, I have no idea how to talk to them! Yamato and Sora are ignoring me!”

“You’re not asking me to go and talk to them, are you?!” – Dai frowned. Sadly, he had given an idea to Taichi, who stopped walking and…

“Would you do that for me…?”

“Senpai, you know I would like to help, but…”

“Come on, Daisuke! I’m sure they would listen to you… If they would just let me tell them I’m sorry for what happened…”

“Senpai, I can’t.” – Daisuke looked at him, expressionless – “I have my own problems. While I was with Mimi-san, something weird happened to us. And those things are still happening. Maybe I’m just stressed out because of that event, but I would like if you don’t ask for my help for a while.”

“What? What happened, and why are you stressed out…?” – Tai looked at his kouhai, worried as Miyako was – “You don’t mind if I ask, right?”

“I’m not sure HOW to explain it…” – Daisuke was thoughtful – “But I met a person there, she was very lonely… Sadly, I couldn’t help her. Now I’m feeling bad about it, like… I’m not able to save anyone…”

“I don’t know what happened, but I’m sure you did your best…” – Taichi patted Daisuke’s hair, trying to comfort him – “We can’t save everyone, but we do our best to keep them safe. Look at our world and the Digital World. We lost some great friends while we were fighting, but we did our best for them, for everyone.”

“I know, but… She really liked me.” – he dropped the soda on the ground – “She called out to me, she wanted me to help her. I couldn’t do anything…! I’m feeling horrible, how was I able to save the worlds if I wasn’t able to save a simple… Girl?!”

“She wasn’t a girl, she was a digimon.” – Chibimon corrected Daisuke – “She wanted to be Daisuke’s partner, but I’m his partner…!” – he explained to Taichi.

“A digimon…?!” – the Chosen of Courage blinked, confused – “I know we feel bad for losing our digimon friends… But it sounds like Daisuke loved her…?!”

“She appeared as a human to us” – Chibimon kept explaining, while Daisuke kept quiet – “Mimi and Wallace thought she was pretty similar to Daisuke. In the end, Daisuke wanted to save her… But he couldn’t. Now he is feeling bad and stressed out, all he wants is to forget her.”

“Daisuke thought she was a human and… Fell in love with her?” - Taichi looked at the younger boy, who blushed and looked at the park. Taichi felt like something was really wrong with Daisuke.

“Yeah, that’s what happened.” - nodded Vee - “But when he discovered she was a digimon—”

“STOP TALKING ABOUT HER!” - Motomiya cried out, angry - “SHE WAS AN ILLUSION! SHE USED MY FEELINGS TO CREATE THAT WORLD AND SHE SENT US THERE!” - then, he muttered -  _“She knew I was down, knew I was depressed… She played with my heart. She hurt me and was cruel… It was cruel. She… She…!”_

Suddenly, Dai gave Chibimon to Taichi and left. Both had no idea what was happening, and the poor digimon wanted to follow him… Taichi felt worried, but understood that Daisuke wanted to stay alone for a while.

“Taichi…! We… We” - Chibimon pointed at Daisuke disappearing in the streets, leaving the park.

“He’ll be OK, Chibimon…” - Taichi patted the baby digimon - “I think you shouldn’t talk about the digimon-girl when he is around. I know him, he will be OK. He just needs to calm down.”

“But I’m not sure about what happened in New York…” - Yagami thought - “But it caused him to change his demeanor so much. Maybe I’ll ask Mimi-chan, while not mentioning Daisuke’s problems or she’ll freak out!”

****  
  


While he was running and trying to forget that girl, he stopped in front of a coffee shop. The goggle boy was holding in his tears, to avoid worrying anyone or make them ask what happened, but inside he cried more than he had ever cried when he was a scared and young kid. He was angry about the digimon-girl and what she had done, how cruel and mean she had been… Until he remembered the good moments they had had.

Her smile hadn’t been mean, she hadn’t been lying. She had really enjoyed spending her time with him, Mimi, Wallace and their partners. So, why was he blaming her?!  **Probably** **his sadness had infected her** , he had been the culprit and not her! It made him feel WORSE, because he didn’t think about that possibility. No, he had wanted to help her, she had wanted a partner… She’d wanted a friend because she’d felt alone. And he had gone to help her and to tell her she wasn’t alone, like he did with Ken.

“It was my fault. I’m sorry… Natchan.” - he thought, closing his eyes and leaning his head in the coffee shop’s window.

_“Daisuke…? Oi, DAISUKE.”_

“Eh?” - he looked back and saw Sora and Yamato together. Daisuke blinked, confused. He forgot half of Taichi’s story… But he rememebered something. He grinned at the older ones - “Sora-san! Yamato-san! Yo… I was… Look at these cupcakes! They look delicious and…”

“Daisuke, you can’t lie.” - Ishida sighed, while Sora giggled - “You’re back from your trip.”

“Uh, Yeah? I’m here and not with Mimi-san.” - the goggle boy leaned his back against in the shop window - “Or do you think I’m an evil clone planning to attack the Chosen Children…?”

“No, it’s you.” - the blonde glared him - “A clone would never say those nonsensical things, it would probably be more suspicious.”

“Yamato…!” - Sora stared at him - “Well, I’m glad you came back safely Daisuke-kun” - she smiled at the young boy - “But we saw you running and stopping in front of the coffee shop…”

“We got worried.” - Yamato gave him an expressionless gaze.

“Worried…?” - Daisuke gasped - “Ah? I was going to buy Vee some cupcakes… I was with Taichi-san. And you guys know how Chibimon is. If I don’t give him sweets, he will be giving us problems!” - he gave a nervous laugh, but his seniors kept blinking at him.

When Sora and Yamato heard “Taichi”, they looked at each other, and Daisuke noticed something… Were they still avoiding Taichi?! For that horrible mistake?! It seemed accurate.

“Oh… Taichi?” - the couple tried to avoid letting the goggle boy get curious.

“Yeah? Is there something wrong with him…?” - Daisuke played dumb - “Or between you three…?”

More silence.

“I was talking about what happened while I was with Mimi-san, and he looked a bit down.” - Daisuke began - “He wants to say sorry, but you guys are ignoring his messages. He asked me to try to tell you two, but I have something personal to do.”

“He… Tried to apologize?” - Sora frowned, curious - “Did he call? Or send me a message? Or to Yamato?”

“I have no idea, Sora-san.” - he rolled his eyes - “Believe me, I didn’t sleep last night, doing homework. I didn’t hear the whole story. Only that part, and he is acting like a weirdo, avoiding all the redheads and blondes in Odaiba.”

“Is he??” - they sighed.

“Well, I need to go now. Or Vee will cut Taichi-san’s hair and eat it thinking it’s chocolate.”  - he giggled and entered the coffee shop. Sora and Yamato gave a deep sigh and kept walking.

“Man, I said I wasn’t going to help Taichi-san…” - Daisuke thought, watching his seniors leave the street - “And I actually DID it. Well, I can’t complain it… At least I helped Taichi-san and now he’ll back to his old mood.”

He bought three cupcakes and left the shop… But something strange caught his attention. He backtracked and stopped in front the coffee shop’s window and looked at his reflex. The image he saw was him, but… not exactly…: The ‘Daisuke’ he saw was wearing very different clothes. A shirt, that must have been white once, but that now was more of a dirty beige color, topped by a dark blue vest. His pants were of an even darker blue, and, since he was looking at a shop window, he couldn’t see the shoes. However, the most interesting detail was a little star hanging around the reflex’s neck.

Before Daisuke could take a good look at it, the image vanished and he saw his normal appearance reflected. But Daisuke didn’t know what to think about that strange illusion. It had just been too many weird things on top of one another. He shook his head and left, going back to the park.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fanart used with permission of the author. That scene was just based on that fanart, so I asked Ray/rainbow09 to allow me to use it.


	3. Iori's Girlfriend?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm continuing it by myself, with a beta reader/editor to help me fix my grammar. I lost contact with the co-author though.  
> I'll try to contact her again, at least to ask permission to keep her character in the story.

Days passed by… Daisuke didn’t talk with most of the group, so he spent his days with Taichi or Sora. Yamato allowed him to watch the band practice once, but Chibimon was almost spotted by the band. 

Sora tried to teach him how to play tennis (by his request), but it was a catastrophe! The ‘little bro’ almost threw the racquet tennis against someone’s face when he tried to hit the ball. Daisuke disliked that game, he thought it was overly complex.

At least with Taichi they had something that Daisuke could do. Soccer was one of the things that both of them had in common, and it was at the Soccer club where their friendship had begun. Since Yamato was busy with the Summer contest, Sora joined them and impressed Daisuke. When the younger goggle boy joined the soccer team, Sora and Koushiro had already left.

“Sora-san, you are awesome! I heard Taichi-san talking about your abilities… Or I think I saw you playing once… I don’t know! But you are really awesome!”

“Hey,” - Chibimon pouted, watching the trio playing - “I want to play too! Daisuke, let me play soccer!”

“Chibimon, you can’t!” - Sora whispered to the digimon - “Someone will see you! There’s many people here now.”

“Hey, how about we goto play soccer at the Digital World?” – Taichi suggested - “We can make two teams. Chibimon would play with Agumon and Piyomon, while Daisuke, you and I would be the other team.”

“Taichi, I don’t think it’s a good idea!”

“Since we have a way to go to the Digital World when we want now!” - he kicked the ball to Daisuke - “And I think the digimons wouldn’t mind. It’s safe now.”

“I agree with Taichi-senpai.” - Dai smiled - “With the D-3 we can open and close the Digital Gate any time.”

“Don’t be reckless, you two!” - Sora stared them - “We don’t know much about the Digital World, it would be dangerous. What If something bad happens? Like we get stuck inside a cave or we get chased by wild digimons?”

“But Sora-san…!”

“Our parents will be worried too if we don’t come back for dinner!”

“And she is the Chosen of Love.” - Taichi rolled his eyes - “You’re acting like a mother again. Sora, you will be a lovely mother.”

“Taichi!”

“I agree with Taichi-senpai.” - Dai giggled - “Sora-san is always worried, as like if she were our mother.”

“D-Daisuke-kun…!” - she blushed.

“That’s why we didn’t die,” - Taichi smiled at her - “because you’re always preventing us from doing some dangerous stuff~”

“Sora-san and Miyako are ALWAYS doing it.” - the goggle boy commented, passing the ball to Sora - “But when it comes to Miyako it depends, sometimes she joins the dangerous stuff too.”

“Miyako-chan? Does she…?” - Taichi frowned.

“Yeah. Hawkmon is always worried with Miyako’s crazy ideas.”

“Daisuke is talking too much about Miyako” - teased Vee - “You almost punched Wallace’s face when you were reading her e-mail while we were with Mimi~”

“Eh?! N-No!” - Daisuke glared at the digimon - “I didn’t! I almost punched him because he wanted to send a reply with MY D-terminal!”

“Oh? I thought you were…”

“CAN YOU STOP?!” - he screamed, pouting.

“Boys, don’t start a fight here or someone will notice Chibimon!” - Sora gave them a serious glare.

“Listen to Sora or she will ground you!” - joked Taichi.

“You are NOT helping Taichi!” - and she accidentally kicked the ball at Daisuke’s face - “We shouldn’t attract attention when we are with a digimon!”

The ball successfully hit him because he was discussing with the baby dragon, so Daisuke didn’t saw it in time to dodge or catch the ball before it hit his face. He fell on the ground, completely

dizzy. Taichi and Sora kept having a casual discussion while the digimon carefully moved towards his partner.

“Daisuke?! Are you OK?!”

“Daisuke?!” - the two seniors shifted their attention back to Taichi’s kouhai, whom was lying on the grass.

“Uh, Sora… I think you knocked him out,” - Taichi blinked. Sora just covered her mouth with her hands.

And he was lost in his mind again, having no idea what had happened or what had hit him. While he was fainted, he had another strange dream…

This time he saw Taichi and Sora, but they didn’t look like the ones that he was used to. The ‘Taichi’ and ‘Sora’ from that dream were wearing different clothes. They looked more like peasants from a medieval movie, but their interactions were really similar to Daisuke’s seniors.

He had no idea why, but they were talking to him and asking questions. Daisuke didn’t understand any word, it sounded like muffled noises.

“What? I can’t understand you!” - he tried to interact with them - “Could you repeat what you’re saying? I… I can’t hear you!”

But it was useless. Suddenly, the boy heard voices calling him. He glanced at the figures, but they stopped talking. He kept hearing someone screaming his name.

_“Daisuke! Oi, Daisuke!”  
_ _“DAISUKE!! DAICHAN!”  
_ _“Daisuke-kun, please wake up!!”_

 “Ah…??” - he opened his eyes slowly - “Where Am I…??”

 “Is he OK…?” - the baby digimon approached - “Daisuke, are you OK??”

 “I think so… What happened?! Why… Why are you guys looking at me–”

 “I’m sorry Daisuke-kun!” - Sora bowed, ashamed - “I’m sorry! Are you hurt?”

 “Uh, I’m fine… I just…”

 “At least he didn’t lose his head.” - Taichi commented - “Are you OK?”

 “I told you all I’m fine!” - Daisuke looked away, a bit upset - “I just passed out. My head is hurting a bit, but no worries… My head is hard as a rock.”

 “Yeah, he hit a tree, a post, a board ads…” - smiled Vee, trying to comfort Taichi& Sora - “And a ball hit him several times too! He is used to.”

 “Chibimon!”

 

 

Later, Daisuke tried to see how Ken was doing, if something (good or not) happened to him. Dai called him, but it seems that Ken’s phone wasn’t receiving calls and when he called the Ichijouji’s place, ms.Ichijouji told Daisuke that Ken wasn’t home.

 “Busy as usual.” - he sighed - “So… Let’s try Iori or Takeru…”

  _None._ Both Takeru & Iori weren’t home. And it seems like their families were also outdoors. He tried Hikari’s cellphone, but no answer; even his soccer teammates and classmates weren’t replying him. That was the first time he felt loneliness, after a long time ago.

 Loneliness.That word and that feeling. He didn’t feel it in years, after meeting Yagami Taichi and becoming his friend; befriending Taichi had opened him a door to a new reality, where he had made friends with more and more people.

Before Taichi… he was alone, been judged by everyone thanks to his old sister.

 But…That was another story.

 “Man, I’m bored. Really bored.” - the goggle boy glanced at the screen of his laptop.

 Something he had asked for after the battle against Belial Vamdemon was to get a computer or a laptop; fortunately his parents had agreed with that idea, because it could’ve helped their son to communicate with the international Chosen Children… And also could’ve made him study more to get better grades.

 “Mimi-san replied me…” - he double-clicked on the envelope and read her reply - “Ah, so my pronounce… Isn’t badly as I thought? That’s something good to hear today. Eh? That _idiot_ said I need to learn more?! What’s wrong with you, Wallace?! Oh man… That guy pisses me off!”

 “Wallace’s sincerity hurts…” - Vee commented, reading Mimi’s e-mail from Daisuke’s shoulder - “But your stubbornness is always blocking what he wants to say…”

 “Are you my partner or not?!” - Daisuke snorted, glaring at the blue digimon.

 “But he is right, you need to learn more… Do you remember what gave Mimi some trouble? It was the way you decided to talk with that guy from that shop.”

 “I’m not a perfect human, you guys treat me like if I love being troublesome!” - he stopped reading the message; Chibimon kept reading and then blinked awkwardly - “What’s wrong now…??” - Dai frowned.

 “Eh… N-nothing.” - the baby II digimon jumped to the laptop and covered the screen with his body - “You need to do some… Something different! That’s all! Hey Daisuke how about we go visit Ken? Or Taichi??”

 “What are you hiding from me?! It’s Mimi-san’s e-mail! And this e-mail address is _mine,_ not yours!”

 “I swear, don’t read it!” - the digimon yelled - “Wallace’s sincerity hurts! A lot!”

 “… WHAT DID THAT IDIOT WRITE ABOUT ME NOW?!” - Daisuke grabbed the baby dragon, whom refused to move - “VEE, GET OUT!”

 “NO!”  
“YOU’RE ACTING LIKE A STUBBORN KID!”  
“I’M DOING IT FOR YOU!!”  
“IT’S MY E-MAIL!!”  
“NOOOOOO!!”

 While fighting, Daisuke and Chibimon accidentally dropped the laptop on the floor. To make it worse, the boy heard a beep like if something were broken. And it came from the device.

 He couldn’t believe it: His first laptop is broken. The brand new one! He got it two weeks ago and now… It’s _broken._

 “Vee. It’s your fault!” - Daisuke snorted really angry - “Look what you’ve done! My parents will KILL me if they discover I already broke my laptop.”

 “I’m sorry…” - he looked at the poor computer on the ground - “But, I think Miyako can fix it…!”

 “Miyako…!” - Daisuke blinked quickly, he hadn’t thought of _this_ solution before. Miyako probably could help him and save his life (again) - “YOSH! Let’s take it to Miyako, I’m sure she can take care of this little guy here.”

 “But first she’ll ask you what happened,” - Vee commented with a scared tone, while he jumped to Daisuke’s bed - “And then she will say things like ‘can’t you be more careful?!’ or ‘You shouldn’t pick a fight with Chibimon while you’re using the laptop!’ and…”

 “I know,” - he took the computer from the ground and looked at his partner - “But she’s the only one who would help me! Koushiro… Eh… Maybe Koushirou too, but we are not close friends, you know? And it would be _worse._ Do you remember he kicked us out from his house because his PC wasn’t obeying me?”

 “To be honest, you were _punching_ his computer instead to gently ask him for some help.”

 Daisuke decided to ignore the baby dragon, he was worried about the machine’s damage.

 

 

“… And he saw me with my cousin and thought I was dating HER!”

Iori had visited Miyako, probably to ask for some help in solving _some misunderstanding._ She couldn’t believe her little friend needed to solve one.

And WHO… was he talking about?

“Miyako, your friend Daisuke is here and…” - Momoe’s voice came from the living room - “he brought a laptop with him.”

“Speaking of him…” - Miyako just shrugged and got up from her chair - “Iori, if you want to solve this, you can talk to Daisuke while I work. I was… Expecting him to break his laptop sooner.”

“… How long it survived?”

“Uh… He got it two weeks ago, I guess.”

“Wow, that’s a new record.”

She laughed.

“Miyako-san!” - Daisuke smiled, holding the laptop with his hands, like a student girl with a book - “my best friend that I love the most and it’s full of talent and–”

“Daisuke, cut it out” - she interrupted him - “You came here because of your laptop and it’s asking me to fix it. I’ll take a look, now give it to me and please come to my room.”

“Eh? You’re being too nice…”

“I _am_ nice. And There’s someone that needs to talk with you. Right now.”

He frowned.  
Who would it be?

“Fine…?” –he said as he was putting his hands in his pockets - “What’s the reason? What did I do this time?”

Miyako didn’t reply, she just returned to her room, with Daisuke following her a few steps behind. She opened the door and tilted her head, asking him to enter in her room.

When he crossed the door, he saw Iori sitting on her bed and glancing at him.  
Oh…  
So that ‘someone’ was Iori.  
But why?

“H-hey…” - he waved awkwardly.  
“Daisuke,” - Miyako entered after him and closed the door - “Do you have something to say to Iori?”

“W-what?! I swear I didn’t do anything wrong…!” - Dai babbled in his defense, shaking his arms. Iori remained silent, not sure if he should call Daisuke out or be careful with his words.

Daisuke and Iori never had been closer, and even being in the same team they had an invisible wall blocking their way. To Daisuke, Iori had been too serious and boring for a child for his age. And to Iori, Daisuke was too childish to be at Elementary school.

All Daisuke’s attempts to befriend Iori had been a failure: SOMETIMES they had some discussions, SOME OTHER they had different interests and tastes.

They were still far far away from each other…

“Did I do something wrong?” - Daisuke asked him after not hearing any explanation from him or Miyako.

“Actually, before you went to New York…” - Iori began, avoiding eye contact with Daisuke.

“Oh, I remember… You were on a date–” - Daisuke said thoughtful. But Iori gave him a glare filled with rage.

“It wasn’t a date!” - he raised his voice, but then he lowered it- “I mean, it wasn’t a date. That girl was my cousin, she came to visit my mother and my grandfather.”

“Oh, so… Uh, not a girlfriend…”

“My age isn’t appropriate to date someone yet, please.”

Miyako had been too busy checking the Motherboard that she didn’t pay attention to them. To be fair, she was kinda angry at Daisuke for breaking a very good new laptop model to care about Iori’s issue. At least she had a similar model at home, and fortunately the Motherboard and its Drivers, the Hard Disk Drive and the Cooler had survived from Daisuke’s _little_ clash with Chibimon. But she can fix the issue, can’t she?

“Y-you’re right…” - Daisuke commented - “You’re only ten years old in one month, and I’m twelve years old in five months.”

“So please, don’t start spreading a rumor that I have a girlfriend when I’m clearly not interested in dating anyone until I start college” - Iori said with an annoyed tone.

“I don’t spread rumors, who does that is my sister” - he defended himself - “I don’t need to get attention by telling the others lies about my friends, classmates or students from my school, OK?!” - he put his hands on his hips - “And besides, I’m the liar. No one truly believes me at school. The only one who’d believe me is Ken, and I don’t feel okay when I tell him lies.”

“I trust you,” - Iori tried to fix the newest conflict he was having with Daisuke - “Taichi-san, Yamato-san, Miyako-san, Hikari-san, everyone in this group trust you.”

“Meh, I know that! I was talking about the guys from class and the whole school” - Dai stuck out his tongue, still feeling a bit offended.

“… I’m sorry.”

“Well, I’m sorry that I thought you had a girlfriend before me and the others. Oh wait, Yamato-san was the first right?”

“Fixed!” - Miyako chirped happily, calling Daisuke’s attention.

“Did you fix it?” - Daisuke grinned, Iori could feel Daisuke’s hopeful aura spreading through the room - “Aaa, I love you Miyako! You’re the best! If not the only one in this world enough to save me from the fury of the giants!”

“Giants…?” - Iori repeated, confused.

“There’s no need to feed my ego, Daisuke” - Miyako replied with a serious tone. Yes, she was planning to give him a lecture about how to take care of a laptop from that line when he just took it from the table and hugged it like if it were a precious gem - “W-watch out, you’ll break it again!!”

“My baby! My laptop is fixed and saved! My parents won’t kill me for breaking it after two weeks of usage! Miyako, I’m very very thankful! But I need to go home now. I’ll take care of it. I won’t let it break in the next two years!”

“It would be a miracle if it will survive until 2005,” - Miyako rolled her eyes.

“If I weren’t grateful for your job I’d fight you” - Daisuke replied.

“You can’t beat me, Daisuke!” - she chuckled - “Also You owe me a parfait as payment.”

“WHAT?!”

“You heard me, don’t do that face.”

“F-fine, but not today!” - He snorted, not very happy with that idea - “I need to check my e-mail inbox, and reply Mimi-san.”

“Oh, Wallace sent me an e-mail saying he’s planning to come with Mimi-san to Japan someday” - she commented, a few milliseconds later Daisuke glared at her - “I wonder if he would like us to show him Odaiba…”

“And I’d definitely ship him back to New York!” - Daisuke growled - “Man, that guy is annoying, arrogant, charming and he gets on my nerves!”

“Did you just… Call Wallace-san ‘charming’?” - Iori blinked his eyes..

“Not in that way! He’s just that cheap copy of a charming prince from the fairy tales!” - Daisuke held the laptop tightly. Miyako was praying that he WON’T drop it on the floor, because if she had to fix it again, she would request a bigger payment for that. Like the most expensive parfait.

“Okay, don’t you dare to destroy this laptop!” - she raised her voice - “If you need to go home and have your tantrums there, then go!”

 

 

Ironically he calmed down.  
He bowed his head, apologizing for that and left the Inoues apartment.

His next dreams were weirder.  
But that night he had a dream of him fighting… Shurimon?  
But he doesn’t look like Miyako’s partner. No, it wasn’t a “he”, but a “she”.

The mysterious Shurimon had a female voice… Like Miyako’s.  
She attacked Daisuke with all her strength, and instead of shuriken blades tied on curly vines, she had arms and legs as a human. So she was like… A human Shurimon, except Daisuke had no idea why were they fighting.

Why.  
Why was that kunoichi attacking him?

_“Stop dodging and attack ME!”_

She screamed, attacking him with another kick.  
He dodged, again.

_“Why are you so scared? You need to FIGHT, human.”_

Human…  
Don’t tell him she wasn’t human. More like… A Monster?

Daisuke tried to punch her, and ironically some kind of blue flame came out from his hand, very fast. She got hit by the fireball and her mask disappeared like when a digimon dissolves in the air when they’re killed. The flames didn’t reach her face (“strange, isn’t it?”) and they vanished with the mask.

Her face…!!


	4. Repeat; Bizarre World

“M-MIYAKO?!”

He woke up panicked, panting and probably pale again. That dream… That strange Shurimon girl had Miyako’s face, voice, and even that strong personality. He couldn’t understand that dream, or why was he having thatkind of dream.

He glanced at Chibimon, sleeping on his cat bed (they had bought one for Vee because Daisuke had convinced his parents that Vee was a cat. Everyone in town believes it… Except Jun and the Chosen Children). The small digimon had no worries, no nightmares… Just nice sweet dreams.

Meanwhile Daisuke… He wasn’t comfy in his bed anymore. He wasn’t sleepy now, he was just confused. Lost.  
He got up from the bed and left his room, without making any noise to disturb Vee’s dreams… Or his family’s.

He sat on the couch, still in the dark. His mind was messy; trying to explain what was that dream about and why it didn’t look like his imagination. The last time he had a strange dream like that, it was his memories of Vamdemon’s invasion and it also had Taichi. Both Vamdemon and Taichi were real.

“Why me?” - he muttered.

Instead of solving it by himself, he had the stupid idea of calling _someone_.

 

_“MOTOMIYA, do you know it’s 3 o’clock?!”_ \- Daisuke read the reply in silence, but the voice of Ken sounded loud and angry in his mind.

“I’m sorry.” - he typed - “You know… You were pretty busy lately that… Nevermind, I got a problem,” - and sent it.

He waited a bit…  
Just a minute…  
Ah, there it is!

_“… What problem? What did you do now?”_ \- Ken’s voice sounded less angry in his mind. But the last question made Daisuke imagine Ken sighing, sipping his tea and judging his best friend in silence.

“Well, you’re intelligent and calm,” - Daisuke wrote - “than Miyako. And less bitter and strict… than Iori. Anyway, I’m having strange dreams since I went to New York. Ah, wait. I had no time to explain to you what happened to me when I was there. So, you know…” - and then he sent.He wrote some long summary of what happened previously and sent it to Ken.

_“You think those dreams are happening because of that digimon named Natchan?”_ \- There it is, detective Ichijouji Ken in action.

“Yeah, probably?” - Daisuke replied - “You told me once you were having dreams about your first adventure in the Digital World, when Daemon and his minions invaded our world searching for you, so I guess… You may know how to deal with those?”

In Tamachi, Ken got the message. He frowned, a bit confused about how to explain Daisuke that those hadn’t been ‘dreams’ at all, but memories of what had happened to him and… _What was the name of that mysterious boy again?_

He sighed.

“Daisuke, listen. Listen carefully: Those dreams you had were memories. You’re implying your strange dreams are not your imagination, but memories of something you had witnessed. But Miyako-san is not a monster, and you can’t throw blue fireballs with your hands. Are you sure your contact with Natchan didn’t put a spell on you?”

_“You’re being rude now.”_ \- that’s it. That’s Daisuke’s answer.

“Oh give me a break, Daisuke…” - Ken thought, but he didn’t type that.

_“You’re acting like if Natchan did it purposely! She wasn’t evil, she wanted a partner. That’s all. She didn’t want to hurt anyone, and she was lonely like you.”_

_Like **YOU**.  
_ That line echoed in his mind. Ken felt a bit bad for that.

“No,” - he wrote - “I’m just trying to help you.”

That reply sounded cold.  
At least inside Daisuke’s mind.

“I’m sorry for my rudeness,” - Ken immediately added - “like you said, I’m intelligent and calm. I try to see the logic here, but it sounds like you’re having hallucinations or you’re under a digimon’s spell. You don’t want to investigate on Miyako and check if she’s human, right? You know her better than me, if she were a digimon in disguise you’d have noticed before, don’t you agree?”

_“… Yeah, you’re right.”_ \- Daisuke’s reply sounded neutral, emotionless. Did he hurt Daisuke’s feelings?

“I’m sorry, I’m not helping at all…” - text sent.

_“You gotta be kidding me!”_ \- text received.

“… You’re upset with what I said” - sent.

_“No, I’m not. To be honest, you’re right. Maybe all of those are some hallucinations caused by stress. I’m still feeling guilty for what had happened to Natchan”_ \- received.

“You didn’t do anything wrong by what you had told me, Daisuke.”  
“Au contraire, you did your best to help her.”

 

* * *

_“DAISUKE!”_

Jun’s scream awoke him, who had no idea he had fallen asleep and before reading Ken’s recent messages. He gasped and looked at his sister, she with her hands on her hips staring at him. Even his poor soul froze with her deadly stare.

“Why are you STILL here?!” - she began - “You had soccer practice with your friends today, and you’re drooling on the couch!”

“WHAT?! I… I TOTALLY FORGOT THE PRACTICE!!” - he shouted, then got up from the couch and ran to his room. At least he grabbed the D-terminal before leaving the living room.

“You’re irresponsible, Daisuke!” - She kept rambling - “All you do is eat, sleep, play video games, read manga, watch TV, get in trouble and forget to study!”

_“Quit whining and let me think!”_ \- he said from his room - _“I have got half minute to make a miracle happen!”_

“Daisuke, it’s useless” - she snorted - “They probably started without you.”

“Okay, 30 min. means I can do it!” - he muttered to himself - “I made lots of impossibles possible, like saving a world from a maniac 11 year-old student, and from a giant ugly vampire guy. Did I miss something?”

“You’re wasting time” - Chibimon interrupted him - “Also why were you sleeping on the couch?”

“I…” - he looked at Vee - “I had a weird dream. Again…” - he said in a low voice.

“Again?”

“Well, I’ll tell you later” - while he was talking with the digimon, he had finished changing his clothes; he took the goggles from the desk and smiled - “Don’t leave my room and please keep acting normally just in case mom or sis might have some guests. Not everyone are aware of digimon, got it?” - he was already opening the door to leave his room.

“Got it!” - the digimon nodded and smiled back.

“See ya later, Vee” - he gave Vee a wink and left the room. Then, he left the house - _“I’m leaving!”_

_“Take care, you little imp”_ \- Vee heard Jun’s voice. At least the oldest Motomiya sibling sounded less angry now.

_“Fine, big imp”_ \- then Daisuke’s reply, with a chuckle in the end.Chibimon was sure he said that with a smirk. Sometimes Jun and Daisuke had a good relationship. **Sometimes.**

* * *

“They left.”

Daisuke arrived in the park, but he couldn’t find his friends. Those are not Chosen, just non-Chosen kids. They had no idea about Daisuke saving the world or being a digimon tamer. Sometimes being an ordinary kid with a monster as your partner is hard.

At least he wasn’t alone and had contact with many Chosen around the world.  
And the ones from Odaiba (one from Tamachi, this one being Ken) too.

“Well, maybe they changed plans” - he mused - “Maybe I can… Hm… Call Ken to go to the arcade? Iori?Miyako?Takeru?Hika–”

Pause.  
He had no courage to talk to Hikari at the moment. Not when she had rejected his invite to go to the beach with him. He couldn’t lie that… _he was avoiding her._

The pain, the disappointment.

“M-maybe I’ll just go home…”

He arrived home, and for his surprise… Chibimon was in the living room, lying on the pillows. Since no one was home, no one replied him when he said ‘I’m home’, and Vee was also sleeping.

He walked in, took off his shoes and sat on the couch. The digimon didn’t notice it, until Daisuke started to pet him. With a sleepy face, Vee opened his big eyes and looked at Daisuke.

“You’re home already…?”

“Well, they changed our meeting” - Daisuke replied - “Do you want to play soccer with me? I mean, not here. I want to do it in the Digital World, where I don’t need to hide you from people. And you can evolve.”

“Sounds like a good idea” - Vee blinked - “And I can protect you in case of some bad digimon try to ruin our fun.”

“Yeah, yeah. Get in the bag, I gonna get some snacks and my old soccer ball so we can go.”

“Right!!”

 

* * *

Digital World.  
Still the same place, except without evil digimon trying to take over the world.  
When there’s no evil, the gate is closed. That was Takeru’s assumption, his concerns as well.  
If the gate is still open to them, they’re needed.

Or this means that the place had recognized them as part of it.

“You know, it’s pretty calm here when there’s no wild digimon rampage,” - Daisuke commented, kicking the ball to V-mon. The blue digimon caught it with his hands and glanced at his partner - “Oi, Vee” - Dai continued - “Have you ever, uh, felt scared about bugging someone? Like… Wanting to talk with a friend, but the fear of them not wanting to talk with you anymore prevents you to talk with them?”

“Is it Hikari?” - Vee tilted his head like a puppy.

The goggle boy gulped.

“Yeah, it is” - V-mon shrugged.

“Do you think she hates me?” - Daisuke asked - “I mean, I always… Wanted to make a move and confess my love, but… I feel like I can’t do that. She doesn’t like me in that way, and I think she’s tired of being my friend! Is it because Takeru?! Am I less interesting than him?!”

“You’re exaggerating, Daisuke!” - V-mon dropped the ball and clenched his fists - “You’re amazing, incredible, strong, charming, charismatic, sometimes rude and insensitive but you’re kind!”

“Sometimes rude? Is it because I don’t speak formally?!”

“I don’t think Hikari hates you, or that she’s tired of being your friend! If she does, I gonna give her a lesson!”

“Vee, there’s no need to hurt her! People grow out of a lot of things! Like I liked baseball, but now I’m more into soccer!”

“So you’re okay with it? Breaking those bonds of friendship with Hikari?”

He couldn’t answer that and he looked at his shoes. No, he didn’t want to! But inside that fear… _Why was he scared of losing Hikari’s friendship? **Why was she so important to him?**_

“I DON’T WANT TO!” - he shouted, his voice echoing in the scenario. V-mon knew it, he wasn’t okay. He treasured Hikarimore than any other person in his life.

The digimon smiled and grabbed Daisuke’s hand.

“Then, you shouldn’t bottle up your feelings. You could call Hikari and tell her how you feel.”

The silence coming from Daisuke didn’t worry V-mon.  
But the boy’s eyes were widened.

“I’m an idiot,” - he muttered - “A complete IDIOT. Of course she likes me, as a friend! Why am I even whining like a small child?! I can be too scared to tell her that I love her, but I can keep being her loyal friend. And yeah, seems I made our soccer practice evolve into a dramatic novel.”

“Well, you’re dramatic” - V-mon rolled his eyes - “It’s part of your bloodline, since your mother was a fangirl and Jun is also one.”

“I won’t argue about it or about my family’s bloodline. Where’s the ball, Vee?”

V-mon gasped.

“Oh no, I lost the ball!” - Vee shouted, grabbing his head - “I’m sorry, Dai! I lost it and now we don’t have a ball to play soccer!”

“It’s fine, I was expecting it to happen…” - he sighed - “Let’s look for it, I don’t think it created legs and ran away…”

“Unless your ball was a digimon in disguise, I’m not sure about it. Here, let’s split up. There’s no wild digimon around, so you’ll be safe. If you find some trouble, you can yell and I’ll save you!”

“Don’t you think that’s a bad idea?” - Daisuke frowned - “W-well, it’s not like we will be kilometers away from each other, right?” - he babbled, but V-mon just left him alone.

Watching the blue digimon disappearing between the bushes and trees caused him some discomfort. But prideful as Taichi, he refused to admit he was afraid of meeting some enemy while his partner wasn’t around.

But… He hadn’t noticed before… _That Digital World had something different._  
He couldn’t tell what the difference was, but it gave him a strange feeling. His fear got a boost thanks to that realization, and he acknowledge it. He, Motomiya Daisuke, was scared of the unknown.

“It’s just… It’s just my imagination” - he whispered to himself - “I’m the Chosen of Courage. I own the Digimental of Courage, I’m Taichi-san’s successor. I’m–”

_Crack._

“I’m a complete scaredy-cat…”

V-mon examined all the area looking for the said ball. It was a regular soccer ball, white and black. Daisuke’s parents had bought it when Daisuke had been five. The boy had been interested with Baseball more than Soccer, and Kouki – Daisuke’s dad – had played at a soccer team in his High School days. Megumi – Daisuke’s mom – had been a fangirl of Kouki, who had fallen in love with her later, at college years. They had Jun a year after their marriage, and Daisuke six years later, probably no one expected it. But the Motomiyas loved him, even Jun. And they love him, of course. But Daisuke wasn’t been a soccer person at all.

Everything changed when Daisuke met Taichi.  
It had been because of Taichi that he decided to join the soccer team later.

“Ah, there it is!”

V-mon found the precious ball. It wasn’t dirty or damaged, _thank Qinglongmon._

“Hey there, little soccer ball. Let’s go back and meet Daisuke so we can play together–”

_“AAAAAAAAAAH!HELP!!”_

That scream…  
He had no doubts: _It was Daisuke’s voice._

V-mon looked in the direction he heard his partner’s voice and decided to forget the ball. He threw it in some random direction and ran fast as possible to the direction Daisuke was.

When he arrived there…

“H-he’s gone?!”

 


	5. Unknown Place

He didn’t know what had happened but there he was… In the pitch black. This time no dreams, except for some weird strange voice telling something in another language.

Then…  
He opened his eyes.

The place he had been was odd, looked like old and haunted. A poorly lit room, some old wardrobe and a chest… Lots of spider webs… Ah, he was lying on that bed. Not comfortable like the ones at home, but he wouldn’t expect the Digital World to have some sense. Not when most creatures in this world wouldn’t mind to sleep on a rock or on spikes.

Daisuke got up, looked around and found a desk. On the desk, here were his goggles, lying and getting dust from the furniture. Maybe it hadn’t been a good idea to be separated from V-mon, since he had been attacked by…

“Wait, who was that guy? Why am I here? Why this place gives me some weird feelings?”

He couldn’t explain but… He felt like it was familiar. But how? He never had been in that room before! Or in that place. Wait, where is he right now?!

“Oh man, I think I will have to escape from this room before some evil digimon try to torture me!”

But he was ALONE.  
Yet fear had taken control over his body. Ironic huh?

“Easy, easy…” - he said to himself - “V-mon will find me! He’s a digimon, and I know he will be here in a few seconds… Or minutes.Or hours. What if I spend a whole day here? What if I spend an ETERNITY trapped in this place? Wait, is it a house? Wow, this digimon needs to clean this room, I’m sure it forgot what the sunlight is. Look at that window! Who lives in this house? I really need to do something to make this place feel a bit better and healthier!”

He tried to open the window, but a cloud of dust attacked him. He coughed a lot, but he successfully opened the rebel window. When he looked back, he saw another shadow behind him. It was…

“Tailmon, you’re here! Where have you been? Where’s Hikari-chan? Also, you look a bit different from what am used to. Where’s your Holy Ring though?”

The cat frowned. Hikari? Who’s Hikari?  
Those golden eyes were watching Daisuke babbling and complaining about the room. How it was dirty, abandoned and needing to see water, a broom and other stuff.

“Uh, human” - she said - “I have no idea what you’re talking about? And I’m not a regular Tailmon, I’m a Black Tailmon.”

“Oh…” - Daisuke glanced at her, blinking his eyes twice - “I’m sorry, I mistook you with a friend’s partner.”

Indeed, the digimon was a Tailmon, except a virus variation with black fur. No Holy Ring. Her voice sounded younger than Hikari’s partner, and a bit more… Playful?

“You’re my lady’s guest,” - she chirped - “Don’t worry, she’s nice. Although José is not a gentleman, he’s too rude for a bodyguard.”

“José?” - He tilted his head - “You mean, Gennai-san’s clone from Mexico? It was him??”

“No, no!” - she shook her head - “I don’t know any Gennai person. José hates to be called by his name.”

“Nevermind, I want to clean this place first! Before I get sick!” - he coughed again - “Really, whoever lives here doesn’t like to have a clean environment!”

“You…” - she said it slowly - “… want to clean this castle?”

“C-castle?” - he repeated - “No wonder why I was feeling like am inside a terror movie! Black cats, kidnappers, being someone’s guest… Am I Belle now?!”

“I’m afraid that I have no idea about what you’re talking, human.”

“It doesn’t matter…” - Daisuke sighed - “Can you please show me the exit?”

“Downstairs, follow the end of the corridor on the left and you will find the entrance hall.”

“Ok, thank you” - he bowed and left the room, following the directions given by the cat digimon.

He didn’t care to examine the place, all he wanted was to leave and find V-mon before something bad happens. And when he finally crossed the entrance hall… His hand a few millimeters from the golden fancy knob…

_“Oi, human. Do NOT dare to open this door.”_

He felt chills running down his spine.  
Some snort on his neck and the presence of some DANGEROUS creature behind him, staring at him with a murderous glare.

Instead of looking back to see who was behind him, he stepped back in silence as he was trying to control his fear. A panic attack at that time wouldn’t help the situation, it could make it worse. Animals can feel fear, right? Maybe digimons can do that too…

“Be nice,” - the male voice said, sounding familiar to Daisuke but he couldn’t recognize it at all - “My lady wouldn’t like to have her guest smashed by my hands. And human beings are all fragile.”

Pride hit Motomiya Daisuke hard and ignited the flames of courage within his chest. No, he wouldn’t let someone underestimate him just for being a _fragile_ human.

He turned back, with an anger expression on his face (making him look like a fluff mad dog) and stared at the shadow:

“OKAY LISTEN HERE YOU JERK, I AIN’T WEAK, I CAN FIGHT A DIGI–!!”

He gulped when he saw the height and size of the creature.  
Bigger than him, stronger than him. A Black Weregarurumon was in the entrance hall, crossing his arms, those eyes judging Daisuke’s stupid attitude and determination.

“Y-you know what?!” - the goggle boy babbled in panic - “I’m not a street f-fighter, I’m just a-an ordinary Elementary s-student who hates v-violence!” - he couldn’t fight a weregarurumon oh my god he had a DREAM to accomplish!

The digimon remained in silence, waiting for something. Perhaps this is the part Daisuke runs away and tries to survive without V-mon?

“AAAAAAAAAH!!”

Yep. He ran as fast as he could go.  
He had to find a door, a closet, a room… ANYTHING. There was a wild werewolf chasing him and trying to… To… What would that digimon do to him?! It doesn’t matter now, he needed to ESCAPE.

 _A door a door… There it is!_  
Uh-oh, LOCKED.

“This can’t be happening!” - he shouted in despair - “Come on, open, open it!” - he glanced at the corridor and then saw the wolf approaching - “COME ON, I DON’T WANT TO DIE HERE!”

He tried again and no success. Whatever! Gotta go fast, Daisuke!  
He ran to the end of the corridor and went upstairs, ran to that dusty room and locked the door. At least that old bedroom saved his life!

“Okay I am the Belle” - he said with disgust - “And there’s a Beast. I’m trapped! I can’t leave! Help, I want to go home!!” - he sat on the floor and took his D-terminal - “Please work, I need to be rescued! Miyako, Ken, Iori, Hikari-chan, even Takeru! Come as soon as possible, I got separated from V-mon and now I’m inside a haunted castle, with a Black Weregarurumon chasing me!!”

Although the D-terminal system was badly-developed and with flaws, he was desperate to able to type something more or less that he was muttering to himself.

 

* * *

Meanwhile… _V-mon was having a bad time._  
Unable to find Daisuke, he had to risk and leave the area. But his sixth sense was telling him to go to the north, following the wind and… Wait!

“Those branches on the ground are broken…!”

A clue!!

“Maybe if I go in the opposite direction… I may find Dai– Huh…? I feel something… I smell smoke… A Firewood stove or a bonfire… Someone is around, maybe they saw Daisuke…!”

And then he left.  
Too bad he couldn’t evolve by himself without Daisuke’s D-3 (unlike the former Chosen’s partners, like Agumon or Gabumon). He was small and not so fast. But he had to give his best to save his friend, especially before letting anything bad to happen to Daisuke.

“Daisuke, please stay safe…!”

 

* * *

“No answers?!”

He was looking in awe at the D-terminal screen. It had been an hour and no reply. Also no signal of V-mon. And if he tried to leave the castle, probably that werewolf would appear and scare him again.

“This is definitely not my day…” - he whimpered - “Maybe I can try to find another exit, maybe a window in the ground floor, or a backdoor…” - he got up from the floor and opened the door a bit to lurk around the corridor. No signal of the kitty or the doge. That’s it, it’s your chance to try again!

He left the room calmly and without doing any noise, but he was sure the wooden floor would NOT cooperate with him. But he’s used to it, his home had those problems, noisy doors and floors, and he only had gotten caught a couple of times because he hadn’t paid attention to what he had been doing.

It was working.  
Yes, it was. He was able to reach the ground floor without calling anyone’s attention. Now head to the entrance hall.

This time he didn’t see the Weregarurumon there and felt relieved. At least the floor of the entrance hall was made of ceramic so no worries with a noisy floorboard.  
He touched the knob, He was so close…

_“Hey!”_

DANG.

“I’M CLEANING THIS PLACE AND YOU WON’T STOP ME!” - Daisuke yelled, removing his glove to use as cloth and polish the entrance door’s knob. A lie, of course, but he didn’t want to die. The Weregarurumon kept judging his behavior, and then Daisuke heard something odd.

_“Seriously? Does she think this human is the chosen one?”_

The digimon was rambling, ignoring Daisuke’s presence and giving the boy a couple of minutes to try and escape. But nope, Daisuke may be silly but he’s not dumb. He knew he couldn’t open the door and flee. The wolf would chase and bring him back to the castle.

Things could’ve been worse, like, some witch-like digimon appear and transform him into a frog! But he thought that part would’ve been too fairy tail-ish to happen…  
Except he believed in everything after getting a digimon, seeing vending machines on jungles and using PC monitors and TVs as gates to travel through the worlds.

Yup.  
Daisuke’s life is quite surreal but it was real.

“Listen,” - he put his gloves on again and walked towards the big wolf - “I have no idea why am I here, but I have a family waiting for me they will be worried in a few hours. If I disappear, they will call the police and then my friends will come here and will fight you and I don’t want them to do that. Let me go home.”

“You can’t,” - the Weregarurumon pouted. _What a big baby_ \- “She told me to bring you here, so you will stay here until you meet her.”

“Sure, meet her” - Daisuke narrowed his eyes - “No one told me WHO is her! Don’t tell me it’s the owner of this castle and she needs my help to do something. But couldn’t she call me INSTEAD?”

“Watch your mouth.”

“I know I’m more like a servant to the Digital World, but that’s no reason to kidnap me! That’s illegal in my world! Also this place needs a household. Really, was that the reason I am here? Nice, from the protector of the worlds to the janitor of the Digital World.”

“Watch.Your.Mouth.”

“Wait a minute” - anger came in when he realized what had happened when he had gotten separated from V-mon - “IT WAS YOU WHO HIT ME IN THE HEAD AND LOCKED ME IN THAT ROOM!?”

“Human, I told you to–”

“José,” - the Black Tailmon appeared behind them - “The dinner is ready.”

“D-DO NOT CALL ME LIKE THAT!” - the wolf hissed.

“Dinner?! But it’s still afternoon!” - Daisuke blinked - “It can’t be that late! It should’ve been afternoon tea or a snack, but dinner??”

“You know I won’t call you by that ridiculous name” - Black Tailmon said with an annoyed tone - “Especially because your real name is much better than that.”

“Wait a minute, José?” - Daisuke pointed at the werewolf - “You’re the José the kitty was talking about?”

“It’s Amis, not José!” - he growled - “Amis Lupe! Not José!”

“You sound like a grumpy friend of mine” - Daisuke smirked - “Seriously? That tough werewolf digimon’s name is José?!”

“I GONNA TEAR YOU INTO PIECES!” - Amis roared, showing his claws, but he glanced at the small kitten - “And you, you are not allowed to talk about it!”

“Well, look at you,” - Black Tailmon rolled her eyes - “trying to be someone who you will never be, hiding the truth from everyone. At least I’m who I truly am.”

He saw Amis glaring at the cat with wide eyes. She really had triggered something inside the werewolf.

“Huh?” - Daisuke frowned - “What do you mean by that?”

“Ah, the meal is ready” - she ignored Daisuke’s question - “If this makes it sound friendlier to you, human” - and then she left, walking calmly to the end of the corridor.

But the question kept bugging Daisuke.  
So the wolf has a secret…?

“Hey man,” - Daisuke started after an awkward silence in the entrance hall - “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to…–”

 _Knock knock,_ someone was there. He heard a muffled voice coming from outside and sounded like…

“Bu… OI” - he glanced at Amis - “Lemme open that door! I know who is there!”

“You won’t fool me” - the other snorted.

“I’m not planning to escape! If I need to stay here to see your master then I’m going to do whatever she wants first. I promise you.”

“Fine…” - Amis sighed, then the wolf opened the door. He couldn’t see who was outside, because it jumped on Daisuke’s arms. When he looked at the boy, he saw a…

“V-MON!! You’re here! I was worried that you wouldn’t find me in this place!”

“Daisuke!!” - V-mon was almost crying - “I’m sorry I thought you had been attacked by a digimon!”

“And I was” - he immediately glared at Amis. V-mon gasped.

“… I’m sorry” - Amis muttered, avoiding to look at Daisuke.

“But I’m fine, no one hurt me!” - he smiled at his partner digimon - “except…” - and here was Daisuke narrowing his eyes at Amis.

“I already said sorry!” - the wolf growled.

“Now let’s go home” - V-mon said expressionless - “I’ve found your soccer ball, but I… dropped it when I heard you screaming” - he gave Daisuke a disappointed gaze, lip quivered.

Daisuke put him on the floor, then patted the digimon’s head. With a smile, he replied:

“It’s okay. We can find it someday; I believe the digimon will enjoy playing with it. But no, I promised to stay here and do something I’m about to know right now.”

“What? Why do you want to stay in this place?” - V-mon didn’t understand it.

“Well, maybe they need someone to clean the house” - he laughed - “Maybe they needed someone able to do it. And this place deserves a retouch” - and looked around, now noticing all the details of that place. It looked like those movies from the Medieval period, except there were light bulbs and electricity. Well, this is still the Digital World right? That world had an Edo period city with some technology if he could recall it correctly - “Can you give me a hand?”

“Why one hand if you can have two?” - V-mon chuckled.

“No, I didn’t mean literally!” - he snorted and laughed again.

“Can we go now?” - Amis said, closing the door and analyzing V-mon.

“Yes, we can” - Daisuke answered - “Do you mind if I bring him with me? He’s like my little brother” - yep, he was referring to V-mon. Amis just shrugged, maybe the ‘lady’ wouldn’t mind that digimon anyway.

“He’s already here, unless my lady wants him to leave” - he answered calmly - “Now come. She must be waiting for you.”

V-mon and Daisuke looked at each other, but they followed the big guy. The door in the end of the corridor on the right was huge, leading them to the dining room: vast and gorgeous, with some red carpet, white walls with a few portraits and medieval-esque yet steampunk decoration. Amis led them to the table, and showed them their seats. It was a long table like the ones from the royalty, and it was filled with food, though Daisuke was finding that all suspicious and expected something bad to happen next. Like, being just an illusion and in the end a digimon appear to surprise-attack him. At least V-mon was with him now… He had a chance to evolve his partner and protect themselves… _And escape._

They sat on their chairs, V-mon drooling because of the delicious food. But Daisuke…  
He kept finding something odd there, but he couldn’t tell what was it.

Suddenly, the other door from the room opened and a female silhouette appeared. The sun from the other room’s window couldn’t help Daisuke to see who was.

But the servants, the Gotsumons, closed the fancy door…

“Welcome, my noble guest. I hope you don’t mind for asking a little help.”

_“H-Hikari-chan?!”_


	6. Mysterious Lady

“Hikari-chan?!”

The servants, Black Tailmon (named as Rebecca) and Amis looked at Daisuke. V-mon just blinked, yet to say something about the awkward scene.

“Hikari?” - the girl said - “This place has no light, just darkness. I’d like to explain to you what had happened… But I need to recover my energy first.”

“N-No” - V-mon shook his head - “Not light! I think we mistook you with a friend of ours, Yagami Hikari.”

“Ah? A friend?” - she laughed. Yes, her voice and appearance was similar to Hikari… But Daisuke felt something _different_ about her - “I could’ve mistaken your friend with one of mine as well.”

“S-so, you’re not Hikari-chan” - Daisuke looked a bit disappointed - “I’m sorry… You reminded me of her.”

“It’s okay… I confess that I call to mind someone else when I saw you too”

“Really?”

She nodded, then she sat on the chair in front the door.

“Is it a bad timing to ask why did you send your bodyguard to kidnap me?” - Daisuke broke the silence, with Amis glancing at him from his seat - “well, we can talk about it later. It’s snack time right?”

Although the food on the table was more of a luxurious dinner than a small snack time.

 

 

“Daisuke’s birthday is in 5 months and I couldn’t find anything to give him as a present!”

She was panicked about it. Maybe it was just a Hikari-thing, but she prefers order. She had disliked how Taichi had kept their room messy when they were small kids and she had felt way better when she had gotten her own room.

“Hikari” - Tailmon tilted her head - “Don’t you think you’re exaggerating? It’s on December, right? We’re on August.”

“Tailmon is right” - Takeru was there because she had asked for his help - “And it’s not like Daisuke-kun would be mad if you don’t find the perfect present for him.”

“No” - she shook her head - “It’s not about being perfect. It’s about that since he became a Chosen, he’s always too focused on that task more than anything else. We barely talk about stuff not related to the Digimon.”

“… Is there is something between you two?” - Takeru asked calmly, but he could read Hikari’s body language: her holding her arm, avoiding to look at him… Her low voice…

“It’s just…” - she began - “Daisuke-kun is not just only a classmate and teammate. He was alone after Vamdemon’s attack. When I’ve met him, he tried to prove to the other children that the ‘monsters’ were real. And no one believed him, he was also bullied because of that. We, oniichan and I, felt terribly bad about it.”

“Since then you’ve been friends with him” - he assumed.

“Y-yes… But he ended up being one of my best friends, alongside you. And now that I’ve met Miyako-san I… I guess we lost contact with each other and we’re just going to the same school. We barely talk now. All of this started after I refused his invitation to go to the beach with him.”

“It’s not your fault, you shouldn’t be blaming yourself like that”

“I know, but the problem is… It’s Daisuke-kun. He really cares about me and sees me as his best friend. He probably thought that I didn’t want to talk with him anymore.”

“Why don’t you tell him that then?” - Takeru believed the solution was easy - “That you weren’t rejecting him but it was only because you were just too busy to go with him to the beach on that day?”

“I told her that” - Tailmon shrugged - “But she ignored it. It’s something more than that, I think”

“Something more?”

“T-Tailmon!” - she gasped - “No, that’s all… I’ve been losing contact with him since we beat Belial Vamdemon” - she looked at her own feet - “Well, I think that was normal since he started to spend more time with Ken-kun and I decided to hang out with Miyako-san…”

“We could do something together” - Takeru smiled - “Something to keep everyone’s bonds stronger like before, like when we fought the Digimon Kaiser.”

“I don’t know…” - she muttered - “I feel like he wouldn’t come, he would prefer to leave me alone.”

“That’s too troublesome” - Patamon frowned his mouth - “Is it because Daisuke likes Hikari, right? So this makes him think if Hikari refuses an invite she’s rejecting him and asking him to stop talking to her?”

Hikari and Takeru kept in silence. Tailmon just got up from the bed and looked at Hikari. She was determined and serious, ready to say something insightful as the adult digimon she was.

“Knowing Daisuke like we know him, he wouldn’t like to know you’re feeling guilty for that. To be honest, he would end up blaming himself for it. Let’s just call him to explain what really happened and move on.”

“She’s right” - Patamon spoke for Takeru - “It’s easy to solve it, you just need some courage to face it.”

“Courage…” - she whispered.

 

 

He had eaten the food because he was hungry and couldn’t resist the impulse. But now he and V-mon were following Rebecca and the mysterious lady to the other room… An office room after the corridor from the door where that girl had been appeared.

Daisuke couldn’t ignore the paintings and some strange weapons on the walls. Weapons that were just a wand, a book, wooden swords, something that looked like a sphere made of crystal (“Wait, that thing had a name right? Isn’t one of those things that fortune tellers use to see the future?”, he thought)… More gears, more portraits but those people, he had no idea whowere they.

But no, something in those…

“Please, come in” - she said while opening the doors to the biggest office room he had seen in his life (and probably wondered if there’s one bigger than that).

Full of book filled shelves, a desktop made with the best wood, a beautiful chair, two sofas  with a coffee table in the middle of them, some ladders to reach the highest part of the shelves… A big beautiful window with the sunlight covering the entire room… And some weird stuff that made him think of sorcery, like floating spheres and a few gears around.

“Wow” - exclaimed both Dai and Vee, they felt that the place was magnificent.

“So, this is your… Uh, room?” - Daisuke asked - “Did you read all of those books?”

“Just a few of them” - she walked towards the sofa and sat on it - “Please sit while I explain why I need your help, mister…”

“Oh no, I’m no mister” - he chuckled - “No need to be that formal, really!” - he and V-mon sat on the other sofa - “I’m Daisuke, Motomiya Daisuke. and this is my digimon partner, V-mon” - and Vee waved at her - “We never noticed this castle before. Well, I don’t even know how to find it since a CERTAIN wolf hit me on the head and I passed out…”

“No need to be too harsh with Amis, Mr. Daisuke” - she said calmly - “He’s not good with humans, but he has a soft heart.”

“If you say so…” - he shrugged.

“I’m Lia” - she introduced herself - “I’ve been living in this forest for a long time, with my mentor but he lost his mind and decided to trap himself inside a labyrinth with something that belongs to me. He also casted a spell on this castle, making me and the others unable to leave it. I know a bit of magic, enough to call for help, but he is too strong and the others who came before you never returned from the labyrinth.”

Daisuke felt scared.  
He wanted to go home now, but he had promised to stay and help that girl.

“W-wait a minute” - Daisuke interrupted her - “Spell? Magic? Are you telling me you’re not human, that you’re some kind of digimon or witch?”

“I’m human,” - she blinked her eyes - “But my mentor was a wizard, a powerful one. He might kill to keep the holy light with him. He’s full of greed, and doesn’t understand my motives.”

“Your motives?” - V-mon repeated.

“I can tell you the rest when you return” - she replied - “Please, Mr. Daisuke, I ask you to get back what’s mine.”

“But he a wizard” - Daisuke was completely shocked with that mission - “I’m a normal human! I have V-mon but… It’s unfair to let a digimon fight a human. Is he human too? Or is he a digimon?”

“He’s a human too” - she tried to calm him down - “And I can share a bit of my magic to protect and strengthen you.”

_WHAT._

“O-Okay, i-it won’t hurt, w-will it…?” - Daisuke stammered.

He didn’t know what happened but he felt something hitting him faster than a cheetah. V-mon saw it though. The digimon saw the girl gathering her hands, muttering something strange and then throwing some kind of blue light at Daisuke. the light became a flame and it went through his partner. Ironically, Daisuke felt nothing than (a light) dizzy sensation.

“It’s done,” - Lia said - “You can go to the living room. On every sunset a door appears in the wall. Take that door to the labyrinth, fight my mentor and bring me back what belongs to me, please.”

“Ow…” - Daisuke put his hand on his forehead - “W-what did you do to me?”

“It’s nothing lethal” - she smiled - “you will need it there, and I guess your friend digimon does not need a little help.”

He got up from the sofa and walked to the entrance, V-mon followed him but finding his reaction too normal for him. _Wait, he wasn’t panicked?_

 

 

“Maybe we could go to the Karaoke next Sunday!” - Miyako suggested, talking to Hikari on the phone - “But if Daisuke is coming this means it will be a disaster! Well, how about going to the theater?” - she was also working on her computer - “There’s a nice movie Daisuke wanted to watch. But I don’t know if Ken-kun, Iori, Takeru-kun and you would like it…”

 _“We will find something, Miyako-san”_ \- she replied - _“Something that all of us can do together and then keep our bonds stronger. Ah, how about going to the ferris wheel? Or to the arcade? I think those would make Daisuke-kun happy. He had been a bit… sad?”_

“I think you need to relax, Hikari-chan” - Miyako rolled her eyes - “Daisuke will be fine. It’s just a phase, the phase where he overthinks things every time someone’s important says something to him. Remember? He misunderstood your complain about him bad mouthing his sister. And he also overreacted to Taichi-san’s opinion of that soccer match against Ken-kun’s team. And now he’s just panicked because…”

_“He’s not talking to me.”_

“Huh?!” - she almost lost her glasses when she heard that.

_“Daisuke-kun sees me and he just avoids me. It started when he had invited me to go to the beach… I refused because Sora-san was going to teach me how to bake and I didn’t want to change my plans. He thinks I don’t like him anymore, that I’m asking him to leave me alone.”_

“Well, that’s a Daisuke-thing to do. Really.”

_“I want to tell him I’m not rejecting him, but he’s not answering my calls or my messages.”_

“And that’s definitely some kind of Daisuke-heartbroken symptom.”

_“I’m thinking to gather everyone and do something together, so he can appear and I can talk to him. Is it a good idea, Miyako-san?”_

“You mean, distract him and then we let you two alone to have this little talk?” - Miyako narrowed her eyes - “Do you really think he will come if he knows you will be there? I think he would find any excuse to avoid bothering you. But If I tell him it will be just Ken-kun, Iori and me… Maybe he will come. Ah, did you know? There were a heated clash between Daisuke and Iori yesterday. But it solved quickly and I think Iori will be OK by helping in your plan.”

 _“Why is the main problem always has to be Daisuke-kun?”_ \- Hikari sighed

“Maybe because we love that jerk with a burning passion enough to want him to feel loved” - she answered with a laugh - “Seriously, our lives wouldn’t have been the same without him.”

_“I guess so.”_

 

 

“Here we are…” - Daisuke was standing in front the wall where its supposed to be the entrance to the labyrinth. That part of the wall had no pictures or decoration, it was made of bricks. He started tapping each brick and trying to discover how to open it, ignoring what Lia had said. It sounds worthier to find the switch than waiting for it to magically appear.

He didn’t pay attention to the living room, including the portraits and paintings. He was focused on waiting that door to appear so he can open it. He really wanted to resolve that issue quick and leave the castle.

V-mon wasn’t okay with that.  
Daisuke was a bit strange; something had changed about him… But V-mon was unable to tell what was it though.  
Well, maybe it was just him being too much worried about his partner.

“Hey,” - Daisuke called him - “Do you think we have to say some magical word to open the door?”

He felt relieved, because that was a Daisuke-thing.

“I dunno…” - Vee answered - “Maybe we just need to wait the door to appear…?”

“… Maybe.”

“Are you OK?” - He was concerned.

Daisuke blinked

“Yeah I am, I have no idea what she did to me, but I’m fine… And… I dunno why she wants me to do that, why don’t she just send her bodyguard? That guy could’ve beaten the wizard man and could’ve gotten whatever belongs to her.”

V-mon had to agree.  
And what had happened to those who hadn’t returned from the labyrinth? Had those been digimon? Like, wild digimon?

The blue digimon decided to ignore that. He got distracted with the beautiful living room, while Daisuke was too focused on finding the said hidden door on the wall. There were too much content in that room, especially portraits of those unknown humans whom be Lia’s ancestors.

But there…  
On the desk…Under the last sunlight of the day…

That portrait… It had Lia and two other people, but the reflection of the light covered them.  
He had the urge to go there and check that particular photo–

“Ah, the door finally appeared!”

He had to look in front of him and saw Daisuke whistling. A mystic entrance appeared in front of them. The bricks disappeared and a passage from a dark eerie corridor was connected to the wall. Maybe that was the said labyrinth Lia had talked about.

“Here we go! Time to have my own challenge.”

Yes, Daisuke was excited and had forgotten that he had to go home before his parents get worried with his disappearance. V-mon had to follow him and ignore his curiosity, thinking a bit about that portrait.

Why that photo made him curious…?  
Nevermind, Daisuke wouldn’t want to waste time and go back…

After crossing the entrance, it disappeared.


	7. The Sentinel

It was dark inside that corridor, and using Fladramon’s _Knuckle Fire_ as torch (and not actually _firing_ it…) it was a great smart move. Tho Vee was still curious about what Lia had done to his partner… The ‘extra help’ she had mentioned…

At least Daisuke seemed normal…

“You know, I would’ve been making trash puns and stupid comments about this whole place. Why am I failing to entertain us?”

Daisuke had been noisy, as the usual. Babbling random stuff. Complaining about the lack of jokes. Feeling totally bored about walking for… How many hours had have passed?

“I’m starting to get exhausted from walking around and around and around and my feet hurts, I guess clocks and D-terminals won’t save us from the endless corridor of ‘boredoom’. Oh look, Fladramon! I made a pun!”

He wanted to punch Daisuke, but he couldn’t. Not with those armored fists. Those have CLAWS! He’s a combat evolution, not a walking torch.

“Maybe you could claw an exit, how about it? Got it? Ah wait, that’s not even funny…”

“Daisuke, stop this terrible attempt of filling the silence and keep your ears open, pay attention to your surroundings” – Said Fladramon with a bitter tone - “Seriously, we have been walking for hours now. And I’m trying to hear if there’s something following or coming at us.”

“If you say so… But I think my punstatic abilities are the best way to keep us going forward.”

 _Punstatic abilities._  
Wow.

Vee didn’t pay attention to Daisuke’s ramblings and attempted to stay focused on the path. Yes it was dark and all he could see is the area that his fist could illuminate around them. The best (and risky) idea now was to release a few fireballs to see what’s ahead. But if he had done that, Daisuke would’ve screamed in panic. It’s hard to be the only ‘smart’ living being at the moment.

Because he was sure Daisuke had the ability to impress people with his mind.  
Especially in situations like that.

All he wanted was a little help to make Daisuke’s brain work at full speed and make a plan.

“Daisuke, I know this is not a good idea, but I’m firing a fireball.”

“No, wait!!” - Daisuke blinked his eyes - “You don’t need to do that! What if you call someone’s attention?! What if something evil come after us?! And why to fire a fireball? Does it even make any sense?”

“Daisuke, shut up and stay behind me.”

“Can I ride on your back?”

“If it will keep your mouth shut and let me work peacefully, then yes, you can ride on my back.”

“You know, I think we could’ve used Lighdramon because it’s faster if we needed to run and…”

“Daisuke, just.ride. on. my. back. now.”

It was funny when V-mon gave the orders. Usually it’s Daisuke who leads and commands V-mon moves. BUT at situations like this, where Daisuke is completely useless (or they think he is), V-mon guides them to the solution.

But Daisuke ain’t a completely useless kid.  
Mark my words.

“Right, I’m on your back” - Dai said with a low tone - “What are you doing now?”

“I will shoot, and wait. If there is something at the end of this corridor it will hit it, then we will ran towards it and fight it.”

“F-fight it?! But I’m on your back!”

“You’ve been on my back in a battle before and you never got hurt, Daisuke. What’s wrong, are you scared now?”

“Are you provoking me, you cocoa breath lizard?!” - Daisuke hissed, still in a low voice - “I’m the holder of the Crest of Courage! I have no fear!”

“Hold tight” - Fladramon smirked, then aimed at the end of the corridor and shot three fireballs from his fist. The fire shots passed through the place until they disappeared in the darkness.

“… And now?” - Daisuke asked - “Did you hear something?”

“… Nothing. I hear nothing, but maybe it leads us to some room or something…”

“What are you waiting for? Go check it!!”

“Do you think we have any other options available?”

“You could’ve broke the walls and got us out of this castle. But then I remembered that you’re not a destructive digimon type like Imperialdramon or Ankylomon, or can pierce walls like Digmon…”

“Be quiet.”

“Right…!”

Fladramon closes his eyes for a while, focusing on the environment’s sounds. He could mind vision that the exit is very far away. But he wasn’t been able to see past that, but he assumed he could reach the end. With Daisuke on his back, almost falling asleep, he opened his eyes and started moving forward, waking Dai who was a bit confused in the process.

“What? Did you find the exit?” - Daisuke asked.

“Maybe,” - he replied - “Hold tight, I’m accelerating right now.”

“W-wait w-what?!”

Fladramon dashed and increased his speed to cross the corridor as fast as possible.  
And Daisuke wasn’t happy with that idea.

“I see something!!” - Daisuke shouted - “It’s…”

“It’s…??”

… The end of the corridor sent them to its segment with TWO paths to choose from: The right one, with torches on the walls and colored in blue bricks… And the Left one, red and with blue torches.

Daisuke and Vee looked at each other.

“Fladramon, We can go to the…”

“Left, right?”

“Yeah Le– WAIT a second…!” - he felt a strange feeling, something inexplicable. He blinked and a flash came in his mind, and he saw the answer - “… Go right.”

“What?” - Fladramon frowned - “Why?”

“Because I can feel it. I’m the Chosen with a Blue digivice, and you’re blue as well. Also, the other way is a dead-end.”

“How do you know?”

“I paid attention, just like you asked” - he chuckled.

He shook his head, but heard his partner’s order. But that was odd – How could Daisuke _know_ the other path was the wrong one just by paying attention? Wasn’t he been able to see or detect something in the red path? Or was that Daisuke’s sixth sense?

Anyway…

 

 

“Milady” - Amis entered in the living room, watching Lia staring at a particular picture in the room - “Do you think they would be able to beat the sentinels and my master…?”

She looked at him, seemed sad.  
He understood her sadness, especially by looking at that portrait in her hands. The same picture, the one V-mon had had interest to see. For an unknown reason, she wanted to open that wall and go after them as well.

“Milady?”

“Amis,” - she said with a calm voice - “I’m sure they can do it… Though I think _he_ will tell them the truth and I’m sure they will not help me. _He_ doesn’t understand how I feel, so this time I will get it. I will make it work, and I will gain back what I’ve lost.”

“You’re obsessed with it…” - Amis muttered. But then he left the room before she could do something.

 

 

“Finally! The exit” - Daisuke exclaimed when they left the blue corridor and entering a big room with a plaid black ’n white floor. Some pillars there had the format of the Knight chess piece. He glanced at the scenario and tried to find the exit, but then Fladramon stepped back, and narrowed his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” - Dai asked.

“I can sense some digimon is around… No, wait… It’s… there.”

_“AAAAAAAAAAAAAH HELP!!”_

When Daisuke realized, he saw a child level digimon’s shadow flying coming in their direction. When it by passed a reasonable distance to let him see the digimon, both Dai & Vee noticed it was a bee. That digimon was actually new to them, but Daisuke felt its face, it reminded him about Wormmon (although it wasn’t a bagworm-face at all). But behind the little bee came another shadow, roaring and trying to catch the prey. Daisuke felt it was the right time to run, but they couldn’t abandon the poor bee-like digimon. He had to think… He had to fight that…

“What’s that thing?! Is that a Digimon too, Fladramon??”

“It’s…” - he tried to reply, narrowing his eyes again - “Some kind of lion digimon– Ah, Liamon!”

“L-Liamon? Like ‘Rai’ as ‘Thunder’ Or ‘Raian’ (Lion)??”

“This is not the best time to research the digimon’s name origins! We have to do something or he will catch that bee!” - Daisuke dismounted from his back - “Wait, what are you planning to do??”

“I’ll catch the bee, while you distract the lion. That’s the plan. Can you give us time to find a way to get out of this room? Like… Another door or corridor?”

“I can try… But I’m not sure how strong that digimon is. Well, it’s an Adult level and I’m on Armor level so… Maybe I have advantage?”

“Silly V-mon…” - Dai smirked - “Are you scared? Aren’t you the Burning Courage, Fladramon?”

Fladramon snorted fire through his nostrils. _HOW DARE YOU?!_

“That’s the spirit” - the goggle boy laughed - “Time to get some action, bro!”

He dashed in the bee’s direction, with Fladramon right after him. After Daisuke jumping and catching the little digimon, Fladramon shot fireballs against Liamon – An Orange lion with brown mane with some accessories and it also had two lion tails. The beast was hit and forced to step back. Now it was glaring at Fladramon, who was watching its next moves.

“It’s not a dark tower digimon” - Fladramon thought - “I can’t eliminate him…”

Daisuke ran and hid himself behind the pillar and watched the battle carefully, at least Fladramon can handle it… He looked at the Child level digimon and asked:

“Hey, are you OK buddy?”

“I’m…” - it talked - “I’m fine… Thank you for saving me!” - the bee’s eyes were dripping tears, probably scared of Liamon - “O-oh, you’re a human!”

“Yeah, and I’m looking for the exit of this place. Have you been trapped here too?”

“I’m… I’m trapped here since that human girl sent me to catch something for her.”

“This is funny because the same person sent me to do this task…”

“But I can’t leave this place without beating the sentinel” - the bee explained - “But I can’t win against an Adult level… I’m weak… A-ah, I’m Funbeemon, who are you?”

“I’m Daisuke and you can commemorate because we’re going to pass to the next room” - he said full of confidence - “I’m a Chosen Child and well, my partner is tough so he won’t be beaten by–”

 _CRASH._  
Fladramon impact that pillar at full speed and then fell on the floor. Thankfully the pillar didn’t break.

“… Nevermind” - Daisuke rolled his eyes, pouting.

“A-are you OK??” - asked Funbeemon.

“I’m fine…” - Fladramon got up from the ground - “I gonna break some bones this time and it will not be mine…!”

“Wait a second” - Daisuke started to think - “Why Fladramon couldn’t beat an Adult level digimon? Wasn’t Armor level superior to Adult? Wait, what if…!!”

Fladramon jumped towards the Liamon again, trying his famous _Fire Rocket_ to cause some damage. By surrounding himself by an aura of fire and lunching it at the enemy like a bullet. The opponent dodged and Fladramon hit the ground, but landing on the ground like a cat.

Daisuke was watching it carefully, trying to think how to fight that digimon… Well, at least that thing has no special ability, like… Fire or something else, right?

“Thunder of King!” - Liamon roared, while charging his mane. Suddenly, an electric current was released towards Fladramon, whom dodged in time but it hit his arm for a while.

“Nice, he can throw lightning” - Daisuke said with a disgusted tone.

“Your friend won’t beat it” - Funbeemon said - “I tried to escape, but it’s useless. And I can’t make any damage to the sentinel…”

“Man, you’re a bee! You have a stinger and stingers HURT; don’t tell me you can’t do anything, because even being small, you still have your own strength! I have a plan, but you have to help me!”

“I… I will do my best!” - Fanbeemon said it with a determined gaze.

“Yosh… _Plan B START!!_ “

Fladramon was trying his best, really. He gathered his fists and started charging them. Instead of releasing them from distance, he tried to use them to do some direct damage. Liamon was still faster than him… Faster, dodging all Vee’s punches and slashes and fire projectiles.

Then…

_“HEY YOU BIG KITTY!!”_

Fladramon looked behind him and saw Funbeemon flying, with Daisuke holding on its body. Vee couldn’t believe what he was seeing– NO WAIT WHAT?!

“HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!”

Daisuke let go of the Funbeemon and flew against Liamon’s face.

 **BAM.**  
He hit the lion’s muzzle with a kick.  
Vee was speechless, his mouth wide open.

“DAISUKE WHAT THE–”

But he also saw something weird: Liamon stepped back and Daisuke had landed normally on the ground like if he was able to do those things. A normal human like him, shouldn’t have been able to damage a strong digimon like that. Funbeemon also helped by firing its tiny barbed stingers against the enemy, making him too busy and open to Fladramon.

“Now it’s your chance!!” - Daisuke shouted at Fladramon.

“–Nevermind,” - Fladramon returned to the battle - “KNUCKLE FIRE!!” - and shot fireballs on Liamon, who magically disappeared with the attack.

“Did we beat him?” - Funbeemon asked.

“I guess so?” - Daisuke took off his goggles and put them on his hair again - “Maybe we… No wait… It was an illusion? Magic?” - he frowned - “W-well, let’s keep moving. Ah, I guess you will have to stay with us, Funbeemon…”

“Daisuke,” - Fladramon de-evolved back to V-mon - “How did you do that? It’s impossible that a human…”

He looked at his own hands.

“I dunno… I didn’t notice I was been able to do that, haha” - he smiled at V-mon - “To be honest, I was kinda scared that it won’t work and it would only give you more troubles to deal with. Maybe I can say it was luck! My luck is back, and I’ll use it.”

“Uh I don’t think it was luck only…” - Vee thought - “Must it be Lia’s power…?”

They left the room, once the next door was unlocked.

 

 

…

_“The human defeated your first sentinel, master.”_

_“… Interesting… Let’s see if they can reach this room.”_


	8. Déjà vu

“Do you know the word for bee in English is _Bee_ and you can make tons of puns with it, Funbeemon?” - Daisuke laughed - “Because there’s lots of words with the same sound! It’s cool, I think that’s the best part of any language: The puns!”

Daisuke kept chatting with Funbeemon all the time. At least this time, they didn’t need Fladramon’s fists to illuminate the corridor. That one had torches on the walls, giving them enough luminance. But he wasn’t bothered by Daisuke’s mood or the new friend, but… How have Daisuke done that? Fighting a digimon on his own. Fighting a real digimon!! And had enough strength to damage Liamon.

Something was odd there and he was sure it was Lia’s spell.

“You know, now we’re all friends, I guess we can focus on the mission” - finally Daisuke stopped joking around - “Fanbeemon, did you know anything else about this place? Or you never were been able to travel past that room?”

“I… I was trying for weeks.”

“Weeks? Wow” - he blinked - “Okay, maybe it was a good thing that we ended up here. Because now you’re safe and sound! Maybe this means we will be rescuing all the other ones who’re lost in this labyrinth…”

“Hm… If they’re still alive, right?” - V-mon joined the discussion - “Because maybe the ones who came first probably are all dead at this point.”

“Shush, V-mon!! You really think more digimon died in this place? That Liamon-thingy was an illusion, I know it I felt it!”

“How do you know?”

“I don’t know how to explain it, but I felt it… I felt something like if I had fought that thing before. Maybe it was in one of those weird dreams… Like, the ones about blank spaces, fighting with ninjas and being able to shoot blue flames from my own hands? Some weird stuff for weirdoes.”

Funbeemon and Vee looked at each other, feeling confused about what was Daisuke talking about.

“Besides, dreams are just merely fantasies made up by your brain. They’re not real, according to Ken. Or just memories, but unless I’ve been here before and had powers I do not believe those were memories. Perhaps I’ve watched too much fantasy movies with Mimi-san, Michael and Wallace when I was in New York.”

“Sure, your imagination must be full of inspiration, but” - V-mon wouldn’t rule that hypothesis out.

“But…?”

“You couldn’t have done that normally. It’s her power. She gave you some superpowers.”

He stopped and gazed surprisingly at V-mon.

“You mean… Her power? Like, the weird thing she had done to me?” - Daisuke babbled, while he looking at his own hands - “Do you think I’m able to do things a normal human cannot do? It wasn’t luck? So I’m still the bad luck Daisuke?!”

“You’re not panicked, are you?”

“T-to be honest I’m just wondering… If I will have those forever.”

“Better you pay attention on where we’re going now.”

They arrived at another room, but this time it was empty and without any exit. Daisuke frowned, while Funbeemon and V-mon glanced at him. He only shrugged and started checking on the walls, trying to see if he could find a secret switch.

But nothing.

“… Maybe we’re done,” - Daisuke babbled - “Maybe we’ll die in this room and the next fool to be sent by Lia will end up finding our dust! Wait, what’s that thing on the ground?”

In the center ground of the front wall there was a small hole. He looked at his hand and tried to compare the hole with his forefingers. He couldn’t see if his finger could fit there with the gloves on, so he removed one of them. Still too tight for his own fingers, including the pinky finger. He put the glove on again and looked at Funbeemon. Nope, those paws were bigger than the hole on the wall. Then, he glanced at V-mon and…

“Bui– V-mon! Put your nail in this little hole there. I think it’s not a normal hole, but some kind of door lock.”

V-mon blinked. But he nodded and ducked on the floor, putting his nail in the small door lock.

“Yeah, we did it!” - he chirped - “Daisuke, that was a great idea! How did you find the switch?”

~click~

“Well, I was just rambling about our imminent death in case of not solving this puzzle– Uh, wait a second, did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” - Funbeemon and Vee asked.

When the three noticed, the floor was opening from the center of the room. Perhaps that was the door they were looking for. But Daisuke and V-mon couldn’t find the stairs. Yes, they were in danger right now… And V-mon wasn’t sure if he could evolve to XV-mon after fighting Liamon.

“Nice,” - Daisuke said with a disgusted tone - “maybe I do prefer to stay stuck in this room rather than FALLING TO MY OWN DEATH.”

They couldn’t find any other way to escape but to grab on the poor Funbeemon to save themselves, but the weight of Daisuke plus V-mon wasn’t a good news for the bee digimon. So yeah, Daisuke was wishing that V-mon would evolve to XV-mon as soon as possible.

But no evolution.  
His digivice wasn’t cooperating!

“Think, think THINK!” - Dai shouted, grabbing on the bricks from the walls, same goes to V-mon - “Evolve, V-mon! We need your dragon wings!”

“H-How can I evolve after I spent a huge amount of time as Fladramon? I’m exhausted!!”

“If I could evolve non-partnered digimon like Ken…!!”

But he couldn’t.  
V-mon felt his hand slipping… He felt it… He was going to fall, and he couldn’t evolve. And it happened. Daisuke screamed and tried to catch him but he also fell by trying to grab V-mon’s tail. Funbeemon was terrified and flew after them, trying to catch the boy with his paws.

V-mon closed his eyes, thinking he wouldn’t survive. That it was over…  
He could feel it… His data returning to the digiegg state. Him having to hatch and meet Daisuke… Having to wait again to meet his destined partner.

But reality hit him hard when he felt arms catching his body with a hug. He noticed it was Daisuke’s arms, so he opened his eyes and saw something incredible:

“What’s going on here, why are you–”

Daisuke caught an impulse in mid- air while he was descending by doing a wall jump on the nearby walls.

When they reached the floor, V-mon was impressed with what Daisuke had done… _again._

“H-how did you do that?! A-also what’s going on with your eyes?!” - he asked.

A blue flame was coming from Daisuke’s left eye… But also his right eye had another color he couldn’t decide what it was because of the lack of light in the abyss. Then...

“I dunno” - Daisuke blinked - “What do you mean with that? I can’t see without a mirror, V-mon…! Is it something bad, like–”

“No, they’re just… shining in some weird color and now you have this flame coming from your left eye.”

Daisuke put V-mon on the ground and tried to check on himself by seeing the reflection from the D-3 screen. He could see it, but couldn’t feel anything different. It was weird… _Could humans do that,_ V-mon was thinking.

“You’re all fine!” - Funbeemon gave a relieved sigh - “I was afraid of you two getting hurt.”

“We’re alive, another thing done by that… Magical power, right?” - Daisuke shrugged - “A-anyway, let’s keep going. At least this floor has torches this time.”

They started to walk.  
V-mon was still concerned about Daisuke, and his weird behavior. He had that blue flame on his eye! And also his eye color had changed…

“Uh, Daisuke… that flame disappeared” - Funbeemon commented.

“Also your eyes are normal now” - added Vee.

He just shrugged, why bother to care about it. It saved them… It’s not _evil.  
_ But should’ve his eyes change color like that??

 

“… He’s not home…”

Hikari had been there, in front the Motomiyas’ apartment.  
Jun had opened the door and had told her that Daisuke had left.

Now she was walking without plans. She could’ve gone home, but…  
She took her phone and dialed someone’s number.

“… And he’s not at home, do you know where he is? Is it at your house?”

She called Ken. Because when Daisuke is not home, he’s at her house with Taichi or at the Ichijouji’s. In some occasions, with Miyako, Yamato or Sora. The last places he could’ve been were at Koushirou’s, Jou’s or Takeru’s. He wouldn’t have gone to New York all over again, right? Because he had returned from his trip.

While Hikari was talking with Ken and trying to discover Daisuke’s whereabouts, another girl with a dark shade of red rose hair and a pale skin with brown eyes glanced at the Hikari. The girl pouted.

“Motomiya is causing problems all again…” - the girl said - “typical of him…”

 

They kept walking, walking, and walking… Until V-mon exclaim about having a door in that corridor. Maybe it was their exit…! A normal place… No wait.

Daisuke opened the door and… the room was more like… A…

“Is that a public toilet…?”

“Why would someone put a toilet inside a labyrinth?!” - babbled V-mon - “This is madness!!”

“You must be kidding” - Daisuke glanced at him - “because what if you wanted to pee or poop?”

“And why wasn’t this toilet on the other floor, genius?” - Vee narrowed his eyes - “Uh wait a minute… Did you hear that?”

“The last time someone heard something like that we fell into the abyss afterwards” - Funbeemon reminded them. Daisuke agreed, and he was sure that line was like a taboo for him now.

“Yeah,” - the goggle boy nodded - “and I heard it too… Sounds like… Water? A toilet flush? Is someone flushing a toilet?”

The middle door opened and there was…  
_A Tortamon._

Daisuke and V-mon screamed loudly in terror.  
Funbeemon just frowned, and it felt Daisuke dragging it. The boy and V-mon ran as fast as possible from there, with an angry Tortamon chasing behind them, probably feeling unhappy and being furious when he found out that people saw him peeing.

_Déjà vu._

“NOT THAT AWKWARD SITUATION AGAIN!!”- shouted Daisuke and Vee together.

“WHAT WAS A TORTAMON DOING HERE?!” - and yet Daisuke had the guts to ask tough questions - “WHY AM I RUNNING AWAY FROM A TORTAMON AGAIN?!”

“It doesn’t matter!!” - Vee said - “I need to evolve! Daisuke, we need to evolve to Lighdramon or XV-mon or even Fladramon to fight that guy!”

“Can you evolve now??” - he took his D-3 from his pocket, it glowed - “FRIENDSHIP DIGIMENTAL UP!!”

Blue lightning covered V-mon, changing its form and size to Lighdramon. The black armored creature halted, ready to clash… But no, he felt something strange in Daisuke… That flame… It had returned.

Tortamon stopped in front them, angrily snorting like a wild bull.

“Oi, Tortamon. I just have ONE thing to say.”

Lighdramon smirked, knowing that he plus Daisuke plus Funbeemon would’ve been a great combo against Tortamon.

_But…_

“Did you wash your hands before coming after us?”

Lighdramon did the famous anime-fall trope while Funbeemon almost fell on the ground.  
Both couldn’t Believe what Daisuke had just said.

Tortamon blinked, then looked at his own paws in disgust.

“DAISUKE” - Lighdramon roared - “What are you talking about?! We’re in the middle of a battle!! Don’t you remember WHAT happened last time when you told a Tortamon to wash his hands?!”

“Yeah, I remember” - Daisuke said in a serious tone - “But I also remember that he took my advice later. So why not to try with this one too? I do not want to fight someone with dirty smelly paws!”

“Daisuke… That makes no sense!” - Lighdramon was losing his patience now.

“Negative, I won’t fight a digimon with dirty hands.”

Then the most awkward thing was that… Daisuke walked towards Tortamon, grabbed the tortoise digimon by the tail and dragged him back to the corridor. The opponent protested with a growl, but Daisuke ignored him.

“No, no Gao, Grr, Grawr nor a single Rawr. You’re going to wash your hands first! With soap!”

Vee and Funbeemon kept watching Daisuke leading Tortamon back to the bathroom.

“Is he always like this?” - asked the bee.

“Yeah, Hygiene paranoia” - Lighdramon sighed - “Daisuke’s definitely the kind of person who forces you to wash your hands before doing anything. Daisuke asked another Tortamon to wash his hands before trying to kill us in the past. You know what happened later: It made Tortamon angry and then I unlocked my Adult level form.”

“Wow.”

 

Water and soap. Tortamon rubbed his paws and washed them, with Daisuke waiting outside the toilet, with a foot on the wall, his arms crossed, eyes closed…And a serious expression in his face.

He wouldn’t attack Tortamon, he wanted a _clean_ battle…

“Did you finish?”

Tortamon growled again when he left the toilet.

“Good. Do you have anything else to do before we start the fight?”

The digimon tilted his head, frowned. _What was that human talking about??_

Daisuke just turned his back on Tortamon and left, he placed one of his palms in his pocket and…  
Tortamon charged forward. It tried to hit Daisuke with a lethal front kick.

He looked back and saw it.

_“Oh cr–”_

 

Vee and Funbeemon felt the whole corridor shaking. It was like something had been demolished– WAIT WHAT?!

Lighdramon couldn’t help but to run back to that part of the corridor with the toilet room. Funbeemon was now riding on his back, because it couldn’t fly at that speed.

When they arrived there wasn’t anything but a cloud of dust, the wall was broken, lots of bricks on the ground… _No sign of Daisuke._

“N-no!!” - Lighdramon gasped - “D-Daisuke I’m… I’m sorry… I couldn’t protect you… I’m a failure, I–”

_“COUGHcough, that was the last time I throw a Tortamon against the wall…!”_

That voice.  
Yes, he was there… **alive.**

“Dai-Daisuke??”

A shadow emerged from the cloud of dust. He was wearing the goggles to protect his eyes. Yes, Daisuke had done it AGAIN and Vee was getting a bit tired of it. The armored digimon had been crying and he could see that. _Why?_

“Hey, what’s wrong bud?” - he said when he stopped in front the digimons - “You’re crying…?”

“OF COURSE I AM, YOU IDIOT!” - Lighdramon shouted angrily - “I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD NOW!”

“Oh, that…” - Daisuke chuckled, then laughed out loud - “I can’t die. I’m the hero, remember? I am here to beat the obstacles and conquer my goals. No, our goals. We’re going to get whatever this wizard is hiding here and go home.”

He rode on Lighdramon’s back and Funbeemon grabbed on his back.

“Fine…” - Lighdramon said with a sigh - “But please, stop risking your life.”

“Well, we’re leaving. time to go, Vee! Ah, just a second… There’s a hidden passage behind the toilet wall” - he added - “I saw it just now. So that’s our shortcut!”

Vee nodded, then crossed the destroyed wall, stepping on a gorgeous corridor with neon bricks. As they proceed to move onward, running inside that path.

 

…

_“Master… They finally reached the last path to this room.”_

_“It’s OK. Let’s see if they can pass through you.”_

_“Yes, master.”_


	9. Flannery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter to finish arc 1.

“You know what to do” - said the shadow, calmly - “Although I guess we can prevent a serious fight here. Follow my lead… _Flannery._ ”

The second silhouette knelt on the ground.

“Everything you desire,” - and replied - “I’ll be here to protect you.”

The other smiled. An innocent and pure smile.

* * *

“We’re still walking here…” - Daisuke pouted - “I thought this was a shortcut! Is it a long shortcut? Like, another nonsense thing – and probably possible since I’m able to fight digimon with my bare hands, do lots of superhuman things and have a flame on my left eye that I have no freaking idea why it’s not burning my face – but is it possible?”

“You’re just babbling nonsensical stuff as always” - Lighdramon commented then sighed - “Daisuke, you have this power right now. We don’t know it fully in the meantime but we have to take advantage of it. Think positively, you’re always being optimistic.”

“I am positive” - he responded a bit annoyed - “I’m just telling you that everything in this place is from another world, perhaps it’s not even from the Digital World! There’s a girl with Hikari’s face! Don’t you think that we might be in one of those parallel worlds again?”

“You mean… When we got sent to that other-Taichi’s world? The one with a V-dramon?”

“I dunno what you’re talking about” - Funbeemon commented - “But I can see the exit” - then he pointed at the light with his paw. Yes, the next room…!

It was a surprise.

It had a beautiful sky, the ceiling was made of vines… Lots of plants, flowers and trees as pillars… The ground had grey bricks, but you could see the plants vines and roots emerging from within the bricks. Flowers from thousand species known and unknown made the corridor beautiful and elegant. But those flowers (and fruits) were bigger, Daisuke-size. He expected them to be dangerous, but he had no fear.

At least he had Lighdramon on his side…–   
I mean, he was on Lighdramon’s back.

“OK, there’s a secret garden in this labyrinth” - Daisuke commented, taking off the goggles and putting them back on his hair - “Does it mean there’s some puzzle waiting for us? Something about flowers and fruits? Does one of those fruits make me bigger or smaller? Like in that book, _Alice in Wonderland,_ I guess?”

“Not sure what you’re talking about” - Funbeemon started - “But I don’t think we can eat those.”

“Actually, everything here is suspicious” - commented Vee.

“And you thought I’d eat those fruits here?” - the boy gave them a serious glare - “You two gotta be kiddin’ me!!”

They didn’t waste time fighting Daisuke, because after a few minutes of admiration…

_“AAAAAAAAAAH, SOMEONE HELP ME!!”_

“Did you guys hear that?” - Lighdramon commented - “Someone’s in danger!”

“Yeah we did” - replied Funbeemon & Daisuke.

“It can be a trap” - Funbeemon babbled - “It’s too quiet and calm here, no puzzle or sentinel!”

“Seems we found someone more paranoid than you, Daisuke” - Vee thought aloud, and if he could shrug he would’ve done that as well.

Daisuke just dismounted Lighdramon and ran towards the screams, with Lighdramon behind him. Funbeemon followed them, but unpleased with Vee’s commentary about it.

When they found who was calling for help, Daisuke saw a big Kuwagamon trying to destroy… A small white Wormmon with honey colored eyes. The boy’s blood was bowling, and he couldn’t stop himself from running towards the enemy. Lighdramon gasped and went ahead, and kept his focus on the beetle digimon while Daisuke caught the small Wormmon.

Funbeemon stopped and got petrified by fear, having to be dragged by Daisuke to a safe place. Lighdramon dodged Kuwagamon’s pincers and tried to shoot a thunderbolt against the enemy. If Vee could stun the digimon… He would have a chance to grab the other three and flee at the speed of lightning.

But it wasn’t easy.  
The red digimon had strength, more than Lighdramon’s. And Vee couldn’t let Daisuke join the battle. He had almost lost Daisuke, he didn’t want to let it happen again…

“Hold on, I have a plan!” - but who said Daisuke would escape? - “Lighdramon, you distract the Kuwagamon, Funbeemon you carry the Wormmon to some safe place while I try to use one of those trees to knock out Kuwagamon!”

“Daisuke, do you think you can cut a big tree like those with what?? A PUNCH?!” - Lighdramon had lost his patience (again). Daisuke’s plans were all stupid, yet those worked before because of Lia’s magic - “Quit trying to be a superhero! This isn’t a game!!”

“You don’t trust me,” - Daisuke said seriously, his tone becoming a bit darker - “this is not a game, I know. But we need to go home, so we’re going to beat that guy right now and win. Or I’m not Motomiya Daisuke.”

“That flame…”

Yes, it came back… _Also Daisuke’s right eye became orange colored as well._  
Vee wasn’t sure why but it was something… _weird._

“I trust him!” -  Funbeemon gave a determined gaze at Daisuke - “I’ll save you” - and it said to Wormmon.

“There’s no way to defeat the garden’s guardian!” - the mysterious Wormmon cried; she had a feminine voice which Daisuke could believe it was familiar to him  - “We’re all done! We won’t survive!”

“Hey, listen here” - Daisuke put his hand on the white digimon’s head - “We’re going to beat this guy and you don’t need to be scared. If we work together, we can reach our goals. You want to leave this garden, right? Well, we want to leave the labyrinth too. I need to go home before my parents call the police, so I’m not giving up! Have faith!”

“You’re a human…?” – the Wormmon said - “What is a human doing here?”

“Kidnapped by a wolf under the orders of a witch” - Daisuke answered - “But that’s not important. Let’s get out of here.

Funbeemon took the white Wormmon and flew higher while Lighdramon threw a thunderbolt at Kuwagamon. The enemy tried to catch him with its claws, but Vee dodged. And at the same time, Daisuke ran towards the closest tree from Kuwagamon, waiting for the right time to break it. When Lighdramon led the opponent next to the tree, Daisuke realized it was his turn!

Except…  
He couldn’t cut it with his fists, even with that power.

“What?!”

Lighdramon frowned, but jumped away from Kuwagamon’s direction. Vee was questioning WHY Daisuke didn’t use that power to cut the tree… But then he noticed:

_That power wasn’t enough to do something like that._

Lighdramon sped up, grabbing Daisuke by his vests and dodged from another powerful attack from Kuwagamon. He put the boy on the ground and charged electricity on his spikes from his armor and released them against Kuwagamon, trying to stun it once again.

No success.

Daisuke’s luck was gone.

“Daisuke!” - Lighdramon shouted - “Run, I gonna keep him busy!”

But does it mean Daisuke will give up?  
 _Nope._

“Lighdramon, we need to make him attack the tree” - he whispered to the digimon when Vee stopped on his side - “if he gets stuck, we can escape! Funbeemon and Wormmon are already safe, now it’s our time to get outta here!”

“Right, but it will be a bit hard to do it…”

“Trust me!” - he rode on Lighdramon’s back - “I gonna be on your side– I mean, on your back.”

“I don’t doubt you, Daisuke” - the blue digimon smiled - “But you need to stop risking our lives.”

“I won’t do that in within two to three years, ‘kay?”

Kuwagamon dashed in their direction and Lighdramon dodged at full speed, running to the tree and stopped in a branch. Daisuke aimed and then shot a blue fireball on the red beetle; it caught Kuwagamon’s attention, who flew towards them. Lighdramon was scared inside, but Daisuke just rested his hand on the digimon’s shoulder.

“Shh, keep calm and…” - when the opponent tried to hit them with it pincers, Daisuke shouted - “NOW!!”

Lighdramon jumped branch by branch until the big Kuwagamon get captured by them. The armored digimon landed on the ground by using the leaves and fruits as stairs.

“We did it!” - Lighdramon babbled with excitement - “It worked! Better than trying to knock him out with a tree…”

“Wait a minute,” - Daisuke glanced at the Kuwagamon - “HEY, BIG GUY! JUST GIVE UP AND LEAVE!” - he shouted - “OR YOU WILL STAY THERE FOR A LONG TIME!”

Mysteriously, the Kuwagamon disappeared like the Liamon.  
So it was an illusion too? Magic?

“What the…”

Funbeemon returned, carrying the Wormmon with its paws. It was confused because what had happened there?? But oh, the human and his partner had beaten the guardian of the garden.

“See? We won!” - Daisuke said to the Wormmon - “Don’t worry, we will be fine.”

When Funbeemon put her on the floor…

“Oh, I knew it. The Kuwagamon wasn’t anything more than just a bait.”

“Eh?!” - exclaimed all of them, plus the sudden change of tone of the white Wormmon made Daisuke remember WHO her voice reminded him of.

The digimon jumped in the air and gained a new form, more feminine and humanoid. Her hair was braided and flying in the wind… No wait, her whole appearance was like a cosplay of Shurimon. But her face…!!

Her… She had appeared in Daisuke’s dreams once.

“I’m the real guardian of the garden. The master of the woods, Flannery!”

“You have Miyako’s voice” - Daisuke gasped - “Y-you were the strange girl fighting me in my dreams! That one with Miyako’s face! What… W-wasn’t that a dream?!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, human.”

“We have no intention to fight” - and he continued - “We just want to get a thing from the labyrinth and go home! That girl Lia won’t let me and my friends leave without something she wants from a wizard.”

“So you’re one of those who came to steal the miraculous object from my master?” - she narrowed her eyes - “And you think you can beat him, the most powerful wizard in the world?!”

“Hey, Flannery-san” - Daisuke tried to be polite - “I think we can solve this without fighting. I don’t want to fight the powerful wizard too, so… Can’t we talk instead?”

_“Of course you can talk, wanderer.”_

That voice made Daisuke froze. No, he wasn’t expecting that. He looked behind him and saw a boy taller than him, wearing wizard hat, clothes and cloak. All of those were purple, the pants were black grey, with a belt and some pockets on the sides. He had small and rounded glasses, but what was making Daisuke petrified is that guy’s face looked like…

“What are you doing here, Ken?!”

The guy just frowned.

“Who’s Ken?” - the wizard asked.

Daisuke felt disappointed, but never mind… Never mind…

“I just mistook you with a friend, sorry…” - he sighed - “Well, you’re the wizard Lia talked about right…? I’m here to take something she said you stole from her. But I dunno, she’s not a good host, you know. Maybe we could find another solution which does not include FIGHTING anyone here.”

“I’m sorry but if you’re here to steal it… You must fight for it.”

“Whoa, man. I’m not interested on fighting here–”

“But that’s useless” - the other said - “I’m Warlock Hu, a prodigy mage from my family. You won’t understand Lia, she’s lost. Her obsession transformed her into a lifeless girl. I thought teaching her sorcery would be a good idea, but I was wrong. But then she sent several innocents here to get it, and I had to send them back to their homes. However, this time she sent you, and you’re more reasonable than the digimon. You’re not an ordinary human, you have a link with digimon.”

“Yeah, but that does not make me special, you know. I don’t feel special–”

“Anyway, we have no time to waste” - Warlock interrupted - “If you want the miraculous object, you will need to get rid of that essence inside of you.”

“Essence?” - Vee repeated - “What?”

“Not the human’s soul, but the power Lia had given to you” - he continued - “If you don’t, she will end up controlling you. She manipulated the dark forces of the sorcery to transform many of the previous wanderers into puppets. They come here, they had to be purified and sent home. But you’re not under her control yet, so this is why you have to fight Flannery and run out of magic. The power is temporary, and you’re out of her range. Don’t worry, you won’t die… The worst scenario could’ve been you running wild and killing Flannery by accident.”

Daisuke gasped.

“But you have to be too powerful to beat Flannery and kill her. Though I’m not doubting your power, wanderer.”

“Fine, fine” - Daisuke shrugged - “So this means I have to fight Flannery if I want to get free from Lia’s magical essence… Nice… Let’s do it, right now. V-mon, do not disturb us. You and Funbeemon go with him and I’ll catch you two later.”

“But can’t he do that without fighting?” - Lighdramon protested - “He’s only a child!”

True. Lia, Flannery and Warlock looked like a bit older than Daisuke.  
Probably three to four years of difference.

“I’m sorry, but the essence only get activated in combat” - explained Warlock - “there’s no other way than that.”

Lighdramon de-evolved to V-mon and kept protesting, but Daisuke was calm and accepted it. If there were no other way, then maybe he should do it.

“Do you think protecting the world and fighting villains is something a child cannot do?”

“But…!” - Vee replied.

“You’re making me feel bad, just because I’m a child it doesn’t mean that I’m weak. We know that’s not true.”

“Daisuke, you shouldn’t risk your life!”

“I am risking my life since last year, remember? Fighting along your side, saving the Digital World, leading a bunch of kids against giant powerful monsters… I don’t understand why you’re worried. Now go with the wizard, I will catch you later” - and then, Daisuke walked away with Flannery, leaving V-mon and Funbeemon alone with Warlock.

“… I didn’t want him to misunderstand me…!” - Vee complained - “I just don’t want him to get hurt, I already let him be captured by that wolf and be sent to this labyrinth…”

“Sometimes you need to just let it go” - said Warlock - “and move on. You must trust him, young digimon.”

“I think we weren’t introduced properly” - V-mon changed the subject quickly - “I’m V-mon, and that kid with me is Daisuke, Motomiya Daisuke. He’s my partner and, before that, my friend. And this is Funbeemon, it said to be trapped in the labyrinth too.”

“Maybe Funbeemon should’ve gone with your friend” - Warlock looked at the bee digimon - “In case of it having the essence of Lia’s magic too.”

“What?” - Funbeemon blinked - “I don’t have anything inside me” - it crossed its paws - “To be honest, I was stuck with a friend who left me behind and probably reached the end without me!”

“Wow, that’s awful” - Vee commented - “But at least you’re with us now, no one is left behind here!” - and smiled - “Daisuke and I care about the others, so there’s no way we could abandon you in the middle of the path!”

“There’s no more time” - Warlock interrupted them - “Come with me, Flannery will bring the human once they’re done. Maybe he will be able to use it and beat Lia’s power.”

“Beat Lia’s power?” - Vee and Funbeemon repeated, but followed the mage.

Warlock led them to the brick wall and snapped his fingers, revealing the passage to a hidden room. It looked like a living room, but… More like a secret base. Probably made for some reason V-mon wasn’t aware of yet.

“I assume your friend will be returning soon,” - he stated - “so feel free to sit and rest. The object you’re looking for is hidden in this room. We will talk about it later, once Flannery returns with the human child.”

“You talk like an old man” - Vee commented, but doing it without realizing it could’ve been rude if weren’t for Warlock laugh after that comment - “A-ah, I’m sorry…!”

“It’s okay, he used to say the same thing.”

“He?” - V-mon frowned.

“… It’s because of him Lia’s like that now” - he ignored the digimon’s question and left the room.

“V-mon” - Funbeemon looked at the other - “Do you think we can trust them? Because that girl and that wizard seem to be very suspicious.”

“I don’t feel like that,” - V-mon blinked - “Also, if it was a trap, he wouldn’t want us to reach this room. I don’t feel any malice on them though, maybe just a bit scared of them–”

_“I’m sorry for making you two wait, here’s what Lia wants. The most powerful spell in this world.”_

The mage returned with something shining in hands. The digimon’s eyes were fixed at it, like if he had been a flashback film playing in his mind. The shining gold light coming from that object made him gasp, making both Funbeemon and Warlock confused.

With a jump, V-mon stopped in front of Warlock, babbling some  nonsense to the other two. No, he wasn’t crazy, that _thing_ is indeed connected to the past adventure he had with Daisuke and the Chosen Children.

The golden light…

“The Digimental of Miracles is the thing Lia wants?!”

V-mon’s voice echoed in the room like a thunder heard from miles of distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The choice of Flannery's name and the pokemon!Flannery (also voiced by Natsuki Rio, who voiced Miyako in 02's JP original version) is a coincidence that I only ONLY noticed when I finished the chapter.


	10. Dear Lia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the end.  
> But the story has just started.

Flannery and Daisuke returned to the point where they had found the Kuwagamon for the first time and waited a bit. She was sure the human could fight like her, so no need to slow down… Except Daisuke was still trying to get used to the idea of  _fighting_  someone who looks like Miyako.

It was his dilemma: She looks like Miyako, she speaks like Miyako, she has even his friend’s behavior and at the same time she wasn’t Miyako at all, but some… Weird digimon looking like a human. Or he believed she wasn’t human. Perhaps she’s a witch like Lia and Warlock.

To be honest, Daisuke didn’t want to fight ANY of them because of their appearance. It was weird and easy: Just remember they’re not them and everything will be fine. But no, something inside Daisuke made him hesitant. Something he couldn’t understand at all, and that blocked his abilities to think better. At the moment, Motomiya Daisuke wanted to go home so much and talk to Miyako, Ken and Hikari and make sure they’re not those strange people.

“Are you ready, human?”

_Stop calling me ‘human’!_

“I have a name,” - Daisuke hissed - “It’s Daisuke. Motomiya Daisuke, I’m a human but not a weak one!” - he could feel the difference between Flannery and Miyako: Miyako wouldn’t have called him ‘human’ like that!

“Oh, I’m sorry” - she said calmly - “Are you ready, Daisuke?”

He sighed.  
Hands on his hips, eyes glancing at the floor and not sure what’s going inside his mind, but…

“I’m always ready.”

Flannery could feel it, his voice gained a dark tone and his eyes changed again. Orange and Blue, the Blue eye had that flame and she was sure this could’ve been Lia’s spell speaking on his behalf.

She couldn’t believe what was happening and what hit her, but when Flannery came back to her senses, she could see his fist hitting her stomach at full speed.

Except she had figured it before him and that was just a decoy.

He looked behind and saw her coming from the skies with a powerful kick, the one he dodged gracefully like if he could float in the air. She landed on the ground and waved her hands as if she were opening an invisible curtain; some vines came from the giant plants and tied Daisuke a la Palmon’s Poison Ivy.

He burned the vines by setting his fists on fire. The blue flames cut the ones grabbing his legs and he landed on the ground like a cat. He tried to burn Flannery by shooting those fireballs at her, but she was fast. He snorted, he wanted her to be an easy target and her ninja skills had been upsetting him. But she wouldn’t let him hit her, and it wouldn’t be a quick battle.

“Are you going to keep running around, dodging everything I do?” - he said with an annoyed tone - “You’re getting on my nerves!”

“I have to make you run out of magic” - she explained - “And I’m not letting you hit me! It will be a long fight, better you put more effort on it!”

_More effort?_  
_Well, she’s asking for it._

He dashed against her, with his fist on fire, and tried a direct attack. She avoided again, grabbed him by his jacket and threw him against the giant tree. Daisuke fell, kneeling on the ground. He was a bit stunned after collapsing with the trunk tree, but had no time to breathe since Flannery came with a screw kick against him. Daisuke dodged in time, but her foot almost hit him.

“Whoa slow down, do you want to KILL me?!” - he protested.

“You’re too slow, kid” - she said - “I was impressed at the beginning, but now I see… You’re hesitating to attack me.”

“No, I’m not?! You told me we just need to fight to get rid of the magic, but all you’re doing is to make me exhausted!”

And he dodged another kick.  
But not enough from an uppercut.

He fell on the ground lying and the dizzy sensation getting stronger and stronger.  _Wow, she’s strong. Pretty strong._

“Are you done?” - she asked, staring at the boy who was heavy breathing thanks to the fight. She was a tough opponent and he was wishing to stop fighting and so something else to run out of magic.

Daisuke wanted so much to go home again.  
And the will to go home was what making him resist.

He got up slowly, feeling way too depleted to keep fighting… But he couldn’t go back now.  
To go home he needed to fight. If he wanted to get whatever Lia asked him to bring her, the labyrinth, he would need to beat all those opponents with his bare hands.

“No, just chillin’ a little” - he said calmly, although she could notice he was lying.

“Then, come at me” - she ordered.

He nodded and tried to move, but…  
… He couldn’t.

She frowned and approached him, just to see him falling on the floor again, unconscious. Suddenly, the blue flame evolved into a barrier, protecting the boy from whatever and whoever dared to approach.

“W-what wrong with you, Daisuke?!” - she asked, panicking - “D-Daisuke?! Are you hearing m-me?!”

_…_

“… Hello?”  
“Who’s there?”

He felt no more pain, his weight was light and when he looked at his hands he noticed some kind of blue aura around him. When he realized, he had fainted due to exhaustion and he was now inside a dream, like that first one he had had weeks ago.

_“Don’t fight them.”_

He glanced to the only shadow in the empty and white background.

“Y-you’re… Me?!” - Daisuke gasped.

_“Don’t fight Flannery. Don’t fight Lia. Don’t fight Amis. Don’t fight Warlock.”_

“But… But I need to get rid of Lia’s magic if I want to go home!” - Daisuke babbled - “W-what do you want me to do then?! To talk to them?! There’s sometimes where it’s good to have a dialogue but it’s not a good option for, like now…!”

 _“You don’t understand, Daisuke?”_  – the other said -  _“You don’t want to hurt them. Because they’re all your friends.”_

“Except Lia is forcing me to fight Warlock! What kind of friend is that who makes their friends fight each other?!”

_“You don’t understand, she’s suffering inside… You’re her only hope.”_

“… O-only hope?!”

The other didn’t explain further and before it vanished, Daisuke stared at the star-shaped crystal pendant on the mysterious Daisuke’s neck. That star… He probably had seen it before, hadn’t he?!

“…”

 _“Daisuke!!”_  - he could hear Flannery voice in the distance -  _“Daisuke, wake up! Daisuke! Please open your eyes…!”_

He woke up and sat on the floor. The barrier had disappeared and Flannery had been trying to wake him up, scared of hurting the boy. He had been lying on her arms and it made him blush, especially with the idea of  _Miyako_  carrying him on her arms.

“You’re fine!” - she sighed relieved - “I thought we went a bit too far.”

He was speechless.

“It’s gone…?” - he questioned, looking at his fist and trying to shoot a fireball. No success - “Am I a normal kid again?”

“I guess so…” - she replied - “I’m sorry if I made you tired.”

“No worries” - he smiled - “It’s good to be ‘normal’ again, because how would I explain to my friends and family that I’m able to throw fireballs from my hands? Or have super strength? Or being able to do those anime-like jumps?”

“Anyway, let’s return” - she got up and helped him - “Can you walk?”

“You gotta be kidding me!” - he laughed - “I’m fine, I’m fine. Maybe a bit slow but I can walk and talk, haha!”

 

* * *

“Have you seen this object before?” - Warlock asked V-mon.

“Yes, I did!” - he babbled - “No, not once, but thrice! Against the Digimon Kaiser, summoned by Seraphimon and Holydramon, and sent by all the tamers who were absorbed by Parallelmon!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” - said Funbeemon and Warlock.

“Old adventures with Daisuke” - he shrugged - “Our first one was to beat a kid who looked like you and called himself by Digimon Kaiser. Now he’s our friend and Daisuke’s jogress partner.”

“A kid who has a similar appearance with me?” - Warlock frowned.

“Yeah, and he was a meanie. Enslaved digimons, claimed the Digital World belonged to him, caused so much unbalance to our world, killed innocent digimons with his abomination called Chimeramon…”

“That’s not like I would desire to be” - and thus Warlock was disappointed with this other-self.

“But V-mon he changed” - Daisuke had heard the conversation (or at least had figured out what they had been talking about) and interrupted - “Ichijouji is a good guy, he’s our friend now.”

“I was going to talk about this part next” - Vee rolled his eyes - “And he had a change of heart, becoming our ally and later our friend. But he’s still a meanie.”

“Definitely I wouldn’t like to be a meanie” - Warlock commented - “Ah you’re back, sir.”

“I’m not a sir, man” - Dai chuckled - “Call me by Daisuke, no need to be formal– IS THAT THE DIGIMENTAL OF MIRACLES?!!” - he shouted.

V-mon nodded, but the others were still confused.

“W-what’s it doing here?!” - Daisuke questioned - “Don’t tell me that’s the thing Lia is looking for!”

“It is” - Flannery and Warlock replied.

“Anyway, your partner said you had seen it before” - Warlock started - “So you may be the chosen one. You must do us a favor: Escape from this castle with this power and do not let Lia get it. We will help you to pass through her and Amis.”

“Okay, but I don’t want you all to fight!” - he interrupted - “Because even if I think Amis and Lia did bad things to me, I don’t think they’re bad. You two know them, right?”

“I knew Lia from years ago” - Warlock confessed - “she wasn’t like that. She was a gentle person who cared about all people, but things got wrong. We lost an important friend of us, and then she decided to do everything to bring this person back. She begged me to teach her wizardry… And that was my mistake. She started to use it to accomplish her goal, except she had no success. Then, she went to the castle’s library and found my great grandfather’s journal. There, she learned about this powerful object and that its magic. After searching for a long time, I stopped her by stealing it and escaping to this labyrinth. Flannery stole the journal and there we learned that this object cannot be used by anyone but a chosen one.”

“Wow, seems like those stories I used to read as a toddler” - Daisuke innocently commented.

“I hoped that this chosen one would cross our paths someday, so I waited patiently here. But Lia discovered the passage’s gimmick and kidnapped many innocents, using the black magic to control them outside the labyrinth. I had to put illusions and alter the rooms, so only the chosen one could surpass those. And here you are, sir– I mean, Daisuke. You’re the one who has sent to help us.”

“B-but there isn’t no other way to tell Lia to stop this madness?” - He couldn’t deny that he pitied the poor girl now - “Like, telling her that this friend of yours wouldn’t want her to feel empty?”

“… You wouldn’t understand how much she loved him” - Warlock muttered, but Daisuke could hear it. And the goggle boy decided to not question it - “Anyway, I’ll open the passage, you get the object and leave. She’s stronger than me, and Amis is unable to fight Flannery. Amis also obeys me, so he would help us as well.”

“Just let me talk to her then…!” - Daisuke insisted - “I dunno how is to feel to lose someone, but… But I’ve helped a friend with it once…!”

“Do you think she will listen to you?” - Flannery narrowed her eyes at Daisuke - “Don’t you hear master Warlock? She’s a lost case!”

“It doesn’t matter… She’s… She’s lonely right now. I cannot turn my back on her!”

“Warlock,” - V-mon began - “In the living room there were a portrait of Lia and other two people I couldn’t see clearly because of the sunlight reflection on the glass. Who were those?”

Warlock remained silence, and the only thing he did was to give the ‘Digimental’ to V-mon and snap his fingers, opening a gate in the wall. Flannery gently pushed them through it and they were now in the living room. Funbeemon flew behind the three, with Warlock standing behind and probably disturbed with something.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry that I can’t tell those people about you… My friend” - and he said it after taking a star-shaped crystal from his cloak.

 

* * *

“What, we’re back?!” - Daisuke exclaimed - “W-where’s Warlock?”

“Don’t ask, just go” - Flannery whispered - “Shush! Go away!”

“… No” - Daisuke stopped - “We’re not leaving without talking to Lia and giving her some help!”

“Are you idiot or something?! She will only care about the object, not about your kindness!”

“How do you know?”

 _“Ah you’re back,”_ \- Lia’s voice has heard. All of them looked at the lady sitting on the couch, watching them carefully and once she saw Flannery… - “What is she doing here?”

“Lia,” - Daisuke stared back, full of determination - “we need to talk.”

“Daisuke–”  
“Flannery, let him try” - Vee asked - “That’s his specialty. Trust us.”

“Talk?” - Lia frowned - “Right, we can talk… But before that, give me the shining object your blue friend has in hands first.”

“No” - Daisuke raised his voice so she could hear him better - “We’re not giving it to you, because you know inside that that’s wrong. Warlock told me what happened, and you can’t change the past. Your friend… He’s gone, isn’t he? Do you think he would want you to do something like this?! NO, HE WOULDN’T! So please, stop kidnapping innocents, stop manipulating them. And if you have something against Warlock and Flannery, then you should talk to them, be honest, vent about your pain! Live your life for your friend!”

“LIKE A WANDERER LIKE YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND MY OBJECTIVE!” - she yelled, throwing a pink fireball against them. Luckily, they avoided by ducking on the floor - “GIVE ME THE OBJECT!”

“You want the object, then…” - Daisuke grabbed it from Vee’s hands - “Come to get it!!” - and he took it from Vee’s hands - “You won’t get it from me– Ack!”

She was faster than him and shot another fireball. It hit Daisuke and it threw him against the wall. Lia approached them, and every attempt of Flannery, Vee and Funbeemon to prevent her from reaching Daisuke was in vain. They were thrown against the walls like that, and Daisuke felt completely lost.

But he wouldn’t give up.

“Vee!” - he called his partner, who jumped against Lia while Daisuke lifted the ‘Digimental’ and screamed - “MIRACLES DIGIMENTAL UP!!”

The room got illuminated by the sacred light and made everyone close or cover their eyes to not get blind by it. But something odd happened once the light faded out.

V-mon didn’t evolve.  
That’s the weirdest part of that event. No evolution.

But… Daisuke had felt he had been floating in the air during the activation of the ‘Digimental’. When he looked at himself, he got surprised with what he saw…!

…  _He had ‘evolved’ instead._

“What the…?!” - He exclaimed, and then looked at Lia - “I didn’t expect it to happen, please. I don’t want to fight.”

“H-how is it possible?!” - said everyone.

“How can Daisuke…?? Isn’t it the Digimental of Miracles at all?!” - questioned V-mon.

“Get away!” - she shouted, throwing another fireball - “You don’t understand my pain! YOU’RE NOT HIM! NOT HIM! NOT  _HIM_!!”

Daisuke absorbed the fireball, and the other, and another. All of them, just by his hand. He just walked towards her, he wanted to help her but she didn’t want it. And for some reason, she couldn’t stand him anymore.

Well, neither him.  
Her Hikari’s face and voice confused him, and made him unnerved and angry because she wasn’t Hikari. She showed him she wasn’t Hikari.

“STAY AWAY FROM ME!” - she kept yelling - “I THOUGHT YOU WERE HIM, I THOUGHT YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND ME…!”

 _“Lia,”_  - Daisuke said, but his voice…! -  _“Let me help you, please.”_

She cried and threw a fireball on the floor, causing a magenta mist. When it dispersed, Lia wasn’t there anymore. Daisuke just frowned, and the shining ‘evolution’ disappeared.

“S-she’s gone?!” - asked Funbeemon.

“B-Better we get out of here while she’s not here” - suggested V-mon - “It’s our chance to escape!”

“But… Will she be okay?” - Daisuke wondered, showing some concern - “What she meant with that… Why was she screaming? She… She’s not like Hikari-chan at all…”

“You better get out of here now” - Warlock appeared from the same gate - “She will be fine, don’t worry. Now leave” - and when he snapped his fingers, a vortex sucked Daisuke, V-mon and Funbeemon to another place.

…  
They were in the forest again.

“What?! W-we’re free?!” - Funbeemon cried - “I’m finally free?! Oh thank you so much, Daisuke and V-mon! You’re my hero! We did it! We escaped from that place! I’ll be able to see my friends and family all again!”

“Daisuke,” - V-mon looked at his partner - “Don’t it makes you remember that…”

“OH SHOOT, THE DINNER!!” - he grabbed the digimon and left - “BYE FUNBEEMON, WE TALK ANOTHER DAY!” - but the other digimon didn’t hear him at all.

…

…

… 

“Why…” - she asked - “Why didn’t he give me that object. Why didn’t he kill me?”

She was crying in her room, alone in the dark. She couldn’t understand why the boy had done that, why he hadn’t helped her like she had wished him to do.  _Stupid Warlock,_  she growled.

“Lia,” - then she heard a voice. The lights were turned on and someone saw on her side - “The wanderer was right. You need to accept it. He’s gone, and he wouldn’t want to see you suffering like this.”

“Shut up, you don’t understand me at all. I thought you did! You were his tutor– no, his best friend.”

“Of course I do,” - he answered calmly - “That’s why I’m talking to you. I’m sorry, I’m sorry that I was unable to protect him like I promised, but he made me promise to protect you in his place. Please, don’t do anything bad anymore, he wouldn’t like it. You wouldn’t like it.”

“… He remind me of him, but he wasn’t him.”

“I know. But you should listen to the boy. He wouldn’t want you to be like this.”

“But how to fix our world without him…?”

“We will solve this, together” - he grabbed her hands - “Trust me.”

She looked at the star-shaped crystal pendant on his neck…  _And smiled._

“I’ll bring the light back to this world” - she said with a calm voice - “I will change our fate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Read the next arc here: [[Path]](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11354157/chapters/25412619)


End file.
